There’s change blowing through the NASCAR garage again, and this time it’s headed south — straight to Homestead. After six straight years of wrapping up the season in the desert at Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR announced on Tuesday that the championship race will return to Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2026. But this isn’t just a one-off. It marks the start of a bold new era: a rotating season finale that could shuffle the title-decider across various venues in the years to come.
During a teleconference, NASCAR’s Ben Kennedy laid out the reasoning behind the move and the guiding principles of this new format. It’s not just about scenery or convenience — it’s about what makes the most sense for fans, drivers, and the racing itself.
Homestead’s Return Ends Phoenix’s Reign
Homestead-Miami Speedway isn’t new to the big stage. From 2002 through 2019, the 1.5-mile oval in South Florida played host to some of the most thrilling championship battles in modern NASCAR history. With its unique layout and aging surface, Homestead offered multiple racing grooves and a driver’s track that often brought out the best when it mattered most.
That’s one of the reasons NASCAR is bringing it back. As Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovations Officer, noted, this rotating finale format is aimed at “short tracks, intermediate tracks, mile tracks” that reflect traditional NASCAR racing. No more superspeedway roll-of-the-dice endings or road course curveballs — at least for now.
“Never say never,”
Kennedy said when asked about Daytona, “but I think we’ve unanimously agreed that it needs to look and feel like what we would expect traditional NASCAR racing to look and feel like. Short tracks, intermediate tracks, mile tracks are all on the board. Superspeedways, I think we all feel like right now we wouldn’t consider that as a championship venue, not that Daytona isn’t a championship caliber venue.”
It’s a nod to history, strategy, and the kind of racing fans have come to expect during championship weekend — a weekend where more than just horsepower should decide the title.
No Room for Gimmicks: Why Road Courses and Superspeedways Are Out
Make no mistake: NASCAR isn’t trying to shake things up just for the sake of it. The idea is to elevate the finale while protecting the integrity of the sport’s climactic moment. That means wildcards — like the drafting chaos of a superspeedway or the technical puzzle of a road course — are being pushed aside in favor of more conventional, racy layouts.
“We talked about that. We’ve talked about road courses as well. Again, never say never, but road courses are probably lower on the list as we think about championship venues. So we’re really going to hone in on short tracks and I would say mile-and-a-halfs for now,” Kennedy added.
The logic is simple: NASCAR wants the best teams to have a fair shot, with strategy, skill, and setup playing major roles — not blind luck or weather roulette.
Weather and Geography: Picking the Right Venue at the Right Time
One of the lesser talked-about challenges of rotating the finale is climate. November is unpredictable, and places like Michigan or New Hampshire — while historic — may not offer the sunny skies needed for a marquee event. NASCAR wants fans camping out, not digging out of a snowbank.
“If we have snow on the ground or it’s below freezing temperature, fans don’t want to come out for a weekend to a championship venue, and it’s a bit of an issue,” Kennedy said. “We’re going to be thoughtful about that. I don’t think it rules out any venues or tracks per se, but it is part of our consideration set.”
That consideration includes more than just fans in the stands. Broadcast logistics, team travel, and overall TV presentation all depend on favorable conditions. That’s why tracks in warmer climates — like Homestead — have an edge.
NASCAR-Owned or Not: All Tracks Are in Play
While Homestead is an ISC (NASCAR-owned) track, Kennedy emphasized that the rotating finale isn’t limited to those properties. Third-party tracks owned by Speedway Motorsports — such as Las Vegas — are very much on the table.
“I think anything is on the table at this point, to be honest, whether it’s NASCAR property or elsewhere,” said Kennedy. “The great part about it is we have a good relationship with Speedway Motorsports, and they have many prominent events in the playoffs.”
That’s a shift in tone for the sanctioning body, which in the past leaned heavily on its own tracks for major events. But now, collaboration seems to be the name of the game, especially with Speedway Motorsports operating venues like Bristol, Charlotte, and the aforementioned Vegas — all playoff race hosts today.
“I want to move up the announcement of the championship location, still have it as a standalone announcement, and then I think also, to answer your question, is have this be annually instead of announcing two or three or four at once.” – Ben Kennedy
News in Brief: NASCAR Rotating Championship Venues
The return to Homestead signals more than just a change in venue. It’s a signal that NASCAR is willing to be flexible and creative — but only within reason. The integrity of the championship remains paramount, and the venues must reflect the heart of the sport.
What fans can expect is an annual spotlight moment — a new kind of tradition — where each season finale will be rolled out with intention, focus, and plenty of fanfare. And if the racing delivers like it did back in Homestead’s heyday, this rotating finale might just become the new crown jewel of the calendar.
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