Brad Keselowski wants NASCAR to "get rid of" Charlotte Roval race

Brad Keselowski earned pole position for the All-Star Race on Friday and won his heat race on Saturday, and before he tries to cap off the weekend with a $1 million dollar prize on Sunday, he met with the media to discuss the future of the event’s current host track.

“I think this needs to be a points racetrack,” he said in a press conference. North Wilkesboro rejoined the Cup calendar as the All-Star Race in 2023, but it hasn’t hosted a points-paying Cup race since 1996. Despite that, the track has a deep and rich history in the sport as it was one of eight races in the inaugural Cup season in 1949, hosting the season finale.

Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

But if that were to happen, then where does the All-Star Race go? Place Keselowski in ‘Team Charlotte’ for that one, as he expressed a desire to see the annual exhibition race return to Charlotte Speedway, which hosted the ASR every year between 1987 and 2019.

While he’d like to add a race at Charlotte, there’s another race at the same track he’d like to take away as well.

“I’d like to see the All-Star Race most likely return to Charlotte,” explained Keselowski. “That’s my personal opinion. I think the Charlotte racetrack, particularly since it only has one race on the oval, I think that’s a miss for our sport. It’s a great racetrack and puts on some of the best racing, so it would make sense to me if we were to revert back to that and make this a season race, and probably get rid of a race like the Roval or something like that.”

Utilizing both the oval and an infield road course, the Roval is an event at Charlotte during the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs and currently serves as the Round of 12 elimination race. Keselowski is no fan of the configuration, and even pushed back on the idea that it has produced ‘some moments’ as reporter Dustin Long pointed out.

“Has it really?” replied Keselowski. “I look at the stands and there are more fans that come to the oval race and better ratings, too, than come to the Roval races. I thought that’s what we judge the sport by. I’m very strong about the Roval has got to go.”