Certain NASCAR tracks are enshrined in legacy and history, and the Crown Jewels are the best examples of such tracks. But a term once revered, the Crown Jewels seem to lack the weightage the name should carry. 

Crown Jewels or Grand Slam races refer to the four biggest races on the Cup series calendar, and each race stands out for a specific reason. The Daytona 500 is a marker for pure speed. The race in Darlington has been one that eats up tires, and the brutal track conditions require precision and tire management.

The race at Indianapolis comes with its historical significance for being a track that has seen both legendary open-wheel and stock car racing. And the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte is the longest race on the calendar, putting stamina as the most important component. 

When you combine all four, it’s called a career grand slam, something that only 4 drivers have achieved. Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson, and Kevin Harvick are the only ones to win at each of these tracks.

But with the Chase system, the win-and-you’re-in system of qualification is out, and the new points system ensuring 55 points for a race win. Due to this, there seems to be no real added value in winning at either of these 4 tracks. It isn't making them actually stand apart points-wise.

Earlier, NASCAR had the Winston Million reward, which would see any driver who won 3 off the 4 crown jewel races in a particular season win a million dollars. Bill Elliott pulled it off in 1985, and Jeff Gordon did it in 1997. 

But beyond that, there is no real value to winning these races today. A win at any of these tracks still counts the same as a win at Martinsville or Bristol, both near half-mile tracks. If there isn’t a change soon, the Crown Jewel becomes a lost legacy of NASCAR. 

What changes could NASCAR make to fix the Crown Jewels?

NASCAR has always said that they pay great attention to what its fans have to say and tries to incorporate it into the way they make changes to the sport. A dire change required is bringing relevance back to the Crown Jewels. 

Ideally, if all wins are the same, then no win is different, and no track is special. There may need to be a rethink of how the points work for longer, more grueling races in comparison to shorter races. 

Brad Perez, who drives in NOAPS, tried to get the conversation about Crown Jewels floating again and put out a post on X. His post pointed to doubling the points as a solution to making the Crown Jewels relevant again. 

Perez suggested that the Crown Jewel races should not have any stages but a straight race from Green to Checkered, which would provide for less time lost due to stage cautions. 

While that is a way to make the Crown Jewel races more exciting, double points would bring a major shakeup to the Championship. If you get 110 points for a particular Crown Jewel win, then teams are likely to focus more on a crown jewel track in comparison to other 55-point win races. And the hype would come for free.

Another thing that could spice up these races is adding a points bonus that would be added to the leaderboard once the Chase has begun. A 10-point bonus for a Crown Jewel win will have fans licking their lips.

Meanwhile, from the current grid, four drivers sit one race away from completing the career grand slam. Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Larson are all searching for an elusive win at Daytona, while Denny Hamlin needs a win at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. 

What's your suggestion to fix the Crown Jewels' significance? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason