BEN KENNEDY

NASCAR will open the 2022 season inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in one of the biggest shakeups to its schedule in years.

Convincing its star drivers the trip to Nashville Superspeedway in 2021 is the spark of a motorsports rebirth in the area and not just another lazy ride on an intermediate concrete track. Theres little sense now debating which track is worthy of the renovations and safety upgrades necessary to hold Cup Series races at least through 2024. The TV numbers also showed there was a demand for NASCAR in Nashville. Nashville Superspeedway held Xfinity and Truck events, as well as IndyCar races, from 2001 until 2011. But the track has never held an elite Cup Series race.

This radical departure from Speedweeks past can be viewed as a harbinger for the remaining 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, which is expected to be released in April. NASCAR officials have suggested big swings with the schedule beginning next season as competitors move to the seventh generation ("Gen-7") of a NASCAR stock car. The recent popularity of NASCAR road-course racing among race fans was a key ingredient to changing the Clash format. "The interest in road-course racing across our fan base is something we are all paying attention to," Wile said. "We know how passionate our viewers are about both Daytona International Speedway and road-course racing," said Brad Zager, who is Fox Sports executive producer.

Its neat to be in a family sport and have such good supporters of the sport as well. Its been really good to see.Mom is Lesa France Kennedy, who is NASCAR vice chairperson and CEO of International Speedway Corp. Jim is Jim France, Lesas uncle, who is NASCAR chairman and CEO and ISC chairman. I believe in the future of NASCAR and the future of NASCAR is the foundation around the France family, NASCAR vice chairman Mike Helton said. Jim France, now 74, has taken control of the sanctioning body, with major input from Lesa France Kennedy. He became the first driver to win a NASCAR race in Europe at Tours Speedway in France.

Preview: The proud mother of racer Ben Kennedy, both members of the "first family of NASCAR," tells correspondent Michelle Miller about her son's passion for competing.