NASCAR Season Finale Venue Quest: Drivers’ Perspectives on Climactic Tracks

NASCAR Season Finale Venue Quest: From 1974 to 1986, NASCAR’s pinnacle Cup Series event closed out the season on the West Coast, either at the Ontario Motor Speedway or the Riverside road course. This decision by Bill France Jr., the then-president of NASCAR, wasn’t without its critics. Some argued that holding the race far from the traditional Southeastern heartland of NASCAR wasn’t the best move.

France, however, defended the decision, viewing it as a pivotal step in NASCAR’s efforts to establish itself as a national sport. Nevertheless, in 1987, the season finale shifted back to the Southeast, finding its new home at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Decades later, the significance of the season’s final race has drastically amplified due to the structure of the Cup Series playoffs. The championship battle culminates in the finale among four drivers, where the one crossing the finish line ahead of the other three claims the ultimate prize—the Cup Series championship.

Since 2020, Phoenix Raceway in Arizona has served as the host venue for the climactic event, taking over from Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. Homestead’s climatic conditions and track quality had established it as the season’s concluding race from 2002 to 2019.

Despite Phoenix’s success as the championship host, drivers favor the concept of rotating the season’s finale among different tracks.

Variety is important, but finding a suitable track for an early November race isn’t easy,” remarked 2021 Cup champion Kyle Larson. “Homestead and Phoenix are good choices. Texas doesn’t cut it, and deciding a champion at Daytona is risky. So, it’s essentially between Phoenix and Homestead.”

Although there’s occasional talk about initiating and concluding the season at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR’s cornerstone track, opposition from drivers and officials arises due to the risk of multi-car accidents affecting title contenders.

Daytona isn’t an option,” asserted 2022 champion Joey Logano. “Ending the season at a superspeedway? Not a fan. I even have doubts about superspeedways in the playoffs.”

However, the consensus is for the final race to rotate among different tracks, akin to how the Super Bowl moves to different cities.

“Having the championship race at various tracks would be fantastic—look at Phoenix,” highlighted Logano. “In previous years, it wasn’t always packed. But with the recent changes, it’s become an impressive venue.”

For Michael McDowell, the advantages extend beyond the tracks themselves. “Shifting the location would benefit both the tracks and host cities,” he noted. “It adds a competitive edge and prevents a single team from dominating at a particular track every year.”

Chris Buescher, who secured seventh place in this year’s playoffs, champions a movable championship race primarily for its fan-centric impact.

“Changing the location every few years would draw fans to different venues,” Buescher mentioned. “It expands opportunities for more people to experience the grand finale.”

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