HOMESTEAD, Fla. — NASCAR Championship Weekend is returning to Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2026.
The 1.5-mile superspeedway hosted the occasion from 2002 by means of 2019. It moved to Phoenix Raceway in 2020 and has been held there yearly since. This November’s championship races for the NASCAR Cup Collection, Xfinity Collection and Craftsman Truck Collection ends that run and alerts the start of a rotation that can see the Championship Weekend in a special location yearly.
NASCAR Govt Vice President and Chief Venue and Racing Innovation Officer Ben Kennedy mentioned the transfer and the rotational course of on Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s a handful of issues that we check out, particularly as we take into consideration shifting a championship. I might say, firstly, it’s fan suggestions, and followers ranked Homestead-Miami Speedway as primary on the record of the place they’d wish to see a championship sooner or later,” Kennedy mentioned. “From what you guys could have seen and among the fan sentiment up to now, it leans very constructive, which is nice to see.
“So we hearken to our followers. All of our companions who’re broadcast companions, our groups, our drivers have enter to the place they’d wish to see the championship sooner or later, loads of trade stakeholders we’ll collaborate with.
“I might say, on prime of that, as you concentrate on a championship race, ideally a heat climate sort of local weather location,” he continued. “You may’t race in every single place on the planet, particularly in early November, so there’s a handful of venues and properties that we are inclined to gravitate towards. Thirdly, we wish to be certain that it’s marketed and promoted the proper approach.
“Fourthly, Phoenix is a good instance of this. You noticed the sort of $100 million undertaking we put into the reimagine of Phoenix Raceway,” Kennedy famous. “Homestead isn’t a Phoenix Raceway, and it in all probability received’t be to that stage once we come for the championship subsequent yr, however we’re going to be placing some capital in that facility to ensure it’s a championship caliber property once we present as much as it subsequent yr.”
Kennedy mentioned Phoenix and Homestead are each within the rotation to host Championship Weekend and mentioned different places are into account together with Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which is owned by Speedway Motorsports.
“I believe something is on the desk at this level, to be trustworthy, whether or not it’s NASCAR property or elsewhere,” Kennedy mentioned. “The good half about it’s we’ve got a very good relationship with Speedway Motorsports, they usually have many distinguished occasions within the playoffs, cutoff races on the Charlotte oval and Bristol and a handful of others.
“Nothing to report in the present day on precisely the place we might be contemplating or the place these properties may be, however I believe all playing cards are on the desk at this level.”
Kennedy additionally mentioned the Daytona 500 will proceed to be the season opener and that the Conflict will run previous to Daytona and the placement will stay in the USA a minimum of within the close to future.
“I believe so far as subsequent yr goes, greater than seemingly it would keep home right here in the USA. I wouldn’t ever rule out worldwide sooner or later, although,” Kennedy mentioned. “We’ve ideas about loads of it being previous to the season, within the low season, an exhibition race. It’s a terrific alternative for us to deliver NASCAR racing to different elements of the world.
“I believe it’s going to be one thing that we’ll proceed to contemplate, however a minimum of for now we’ll greater than seemingly maintain it home.”
