USA TODAY readers poll ranks Michigan International Speedway among best NASCAR tracks
Brad HeinemanCAMBRIDGE TWP. — Racing fans who enjoy catching the summer action at Michigan International Speedway can rejoice in knowing the FireKeepers Casino 400 race is only about 100 days away.
And when fans flock to MIS in mid-August for the annual race weekend — scheduled for Aug. 16-18 — they will be at one of the premier NASCAR raceways in the country, according to results from a USA TODAY Readers’ Choice Awards poll, which can be viewed at 10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-nascar-track-2024.
Today, USA TODAY is announcing the results of its 2024 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in the High Octane categories, which include Best NASCAR Track.
After four weeks of voting that was open to the public from April 1-29, results show that MIS has been selected as the fourth best NASCAR track in the United States.
MIS in Cambridge Township is four miles south of the village of Brooklyn and is situated on more than 1,400 acres of land in the Irish Hills region of southeastern Michigan. The speedway hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the ARCA Menard Series.
Fan voting selected Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, as the Best NASCAR Track in the country. That selection was followed by the Chicago Street Race in second and Sonoma, California, Raceway in third.
Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee finished behind MIS to round out the top five NASCAR tracks, according to the voting results.
“The wide and fast 18-degree banks of this 2-mile track are situated in the Irish Hills of Michigan, around an hour from the headquarters of GM (General Motors) and Ford in Detroit and Dearborn, respectively. Ford-backed teams have historically dominated the track, but GM and Toyota have edged their way into Ford’s territory and the race is as competitive as ever,” USA TODAY said.
The USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards highlight the very best in travel, food and drink, and lifestyle.
Every week, USA TODAY 10Best invites a panel of industry experts to nominate their favorite points of interest and attractions across a wide range of categories. 10Best editors then vet these nominations and select a final set of nominees to be presented to the voting public for a period of four weeks.
Additional categories in the High Octane division of the Readers’ Choice Awards include Best Air Show, Best Boat Show, Best Car Show, Best Motorsports Race, Best Attraction for Car Lovers and Best Rodeo.
Subscribe Now:For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content.
MIS wasn’t the only Michigan venue to earn a spot within the top 10. Battle Creek Field of Flight placed sixth in Best Air Show, the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn was ninth in Best Attraction for Car Lovers, the Detroit Boat Show was third in Best Boat Show, and Detroit’s Woodward Dream Cruise came in 10th for Best Car Show.
Here are the Readers’ Choice winners in each of the High Octane categories:
- Best Air Show: Airshow London, London, Ontario.
- Best Attraction for Car Lovers: Savoy Automobile Museum, Cartersville, Georgia.
- Best Boat Show: St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show, St. Petersburg, Florida.
- Best Car Show: Cruisin’ The Coast, Mississippi Gulf Coast.
- Best Motorsports Race: Sick Week, Orlando, Florida.
- Best NASCAR Track: Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
- Best Rodeo: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Houston, Texas.
— Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: www.twitter.com/LenaweeHeineman.