NASCAR to rotate championship finale, will return to Homestead in 2026

Homestead-Miami Speedway hosted NASCAR’s championship weekend every year from 2002 through 2019 before the finale shifted to Phoenix Raceway for 2020 onwards.

But calls from both drivers and fans to return to the popular intermediate track in Southern Florida have only grown louder in recent years, and now it’s finally happening. Homestead will again host the title-decider for the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series in 2026.

But perhaps equally important to this is the fact that NASCAR has officially announced plans to rotate championship weekend, moving it to various tracks every year. The goal, per a release, is “to ensure that the season’s exciting conclusion is shared amongst NASCAR’s marquee venues and key markets. Similar to other major sports championships, NASCAR will showcase its championship weekend on the new rotating model to provide greater exposure for its season’s finale in multiple markets.”

The future of Phoenix

In the Next Gen era, Team Penske have been undefeated for three consecutive seasons in the title-decider, winning the championship every year. Phoenix will maintain two Cup dates on the 2026 schedule with NASCAR confirming that it will have a race in the Round of 8. It’s unclear what track it will replace in the penultimate round of the playoffs.

“Homestead-Miami Speedway has a history of competitive, championship racing that will provide nostalgia for veteran drivers and fans and exhilaration for NASCAR’s new generation,” said Ben Kennedy, EVP, Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer. “As we move forward, the rotating model will provide new challenges for competitors as well as opportunities for unique venues to host our loyal fans at NASCAR Championship Weekend.”

Guillermo Santa Cruz, who was appointed track president at Homestead-Miami Speedway late last year, said of the news: “As we celebrate our 30th season, it is fitting we will start our next decade returning to our championship roots at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 2026 NASCAR Championship Weekend will offer the brightest young stars of the sport the opportunity to join the illustrious 18-year history of championship racing in South Florida alongside veteran fan-favorite drivers.”

The host track of NASCAR’s finale changed often in its early years. It wasn’t until the 1970s when the series began to see some sort of consistency with Ontario Speedway hosting the final race from 1974 to 1980, and then Riverside International Raceway until 1986. From 1987 through the year 2000, the season concluded at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

2001 was an outlier year due to the cancelled New Hampshire race following the tragic events of 9/11, which moved that race to the very end of the season. But Homestead hosted it for the longest consecutive period (18 years) before the shift to Phoenix for the 2020s. 

In a teleconference that followed, NASCAR put in place some guardrails for what tracks will be considered as part of the rotating finale from 2027 onwards.