Presented by Advance Auto Parts & NASCAR Weekly Series
Welcome to the Advance My Track Challenge
The Advance My Track Challenge is more than just a competition—it’s a nationwide movement to celebrate, support, and preserve grassroots racing across North America. Created through a partnership between Advance Auto Parts and NASCAR, this challenge highlights local short tracks that form the backbone of motorsports culture.
Every year, NASCAR fans are invited to vote for their favorite sanctioned short tracks. The winning tracks receive funding to improve facilities, expand community programs, and continue hosting memorable racing events. The initiative ensures that racing is not only preserved but thrives for generations to come.
History of the Challenge
Since its launch in 2021, the Advance My Track Challenge has spotlighted dozens of tracks across the United States and Canada. Each participating venue shares its unique story—how it contributes to the community, supports local businesses, and nurtures the next generation of racing talent. Fans, in turn, have the power to determine which track receives the grand prize funding, typically as much as $50,000.
This initiative is deeply rooted in the philosophy of community engagement. Advance Auto Parts recognized that short tracks were more than racing venues—they were cultural centers, gathering places where families, friends, and neighbors bonded over their shared love of speed and competition. By launching the challenge, Advance Auto Parts and NASCAR ensured these tracks would not fade into history but instead evolve with the support of their fans.
How the Voting Process Works
The voting process is designed to be simple yet impactful. Fans visit the official website, browse the participating tracks, and cast their votes for the venues they feel most deserving. Voting often takes place in multiple rounds, with finalists advancing based on fan participation.
Each track presents its story: why it matters, how it serves the community, and what it would do with the funding if selected as the winner. Some tracks plan infrastructure upgrades, such as new spectator decks or ADA-compliant restrooms. Others invest in grassroots programs that bring youth and new drivers into the sport. Each narrative adds weight to every vote cast.
Why Grassroots Racing Matters
Grassroots racing is the lifeblood of motorsports. Its where legendary drivers cut their teeth, where future champions first climb behind the wheel, and where communities find pride in their local heroes. Unlike large-scale national races, grassroots events carry an intimacy that binds fans to drivers, drivers to families, and communities to the sport.
Supporting grassroots racing is about more than preserving tradition; it’s about ensuring opportunity. Tracks that win the Advance My Track Challenge often use the prize money to create scholarships, sponsor local schools, and run programs that inspire future mechanics, engineers, and drivers. In this way, the challenge is a pipeline not only for entertainment but for careers, education, and civic pride.
Past Winners and Their Impact
The stories of past winners illustrate the transformative effect of the challenge. In 2021, Berlin Raceway captured the prize and invested in facilities that made the track more accessible and enjoyable for fans of all ages. In 2022, Jennerstown Speedway received the honor, channeling funds into projects that revitalized the track’s infrastructure. By 2023, Autodrome Granby in Quebec had taken the checkered flag, showcasing how the challenge transcends borders to unite North American racing culture.
Each of these winners demonstrates that the challenge is not just about financial reward—it’s about recognition, empowerment, and growth. Fans feel validated knowing their votes helped create tangible improvements. Tracks feel inspired to continue innovating. And communities feel proud of their contributions to a beloved tradition.
The Road Ahead
The Advance My Track Challenge is still a young initiative, but its momentum grows with every passing year. More tracks are joining, more fans are voting, and more communities are discovering the ripple effects of grassroots racing support. Looking ahead, the challenge is poised to become a cornerstone event in motorsports culture—one that bridges the past with the future and local tracks with national recognition.
For fans, this means more opportunities to participate. For tracks, it means greater visibility and the potential to secure life-changing investments. And for NASCAR as a whole, it signifies a deeper connection to its roots, ensuring the sport remains grounded even as it evolves on the global stage.
