Meaning:

Literally this term means “race track” or “race course.” Chinese people today use it more as a metaphor, especially in business and investment, to mean “a sub-sector of certain industry where market competition decides the winner.”

Example:

A: 餐饮行业竞争激烈，你认为存在潜力赛道吗？

Cānyǐn hángyè jìngzhēng jīliè，nǐ rènwéi cúnzài qiánlì sàidào ma？

Competition is fierce in the catering industry. Are there promising sub-sectors in this industry?

B: 从需求和快速占领市场的角度看，易于高度标准化的中式快餐还是有潜力做大的。

Cóng xūqiú hé kuàisù zhànlǐng shìchǎng de jiǎodù kàn，yìyú gāodù biāozhǔnhuà de zhōngshì kuàicān háishì yǒu qiǎnlì zuòdà de。

From the perspective of demand and whether it’s easy to quickly take up market shares, Chinese-style fastfood that can be highly standardized has the potential to be a thing.