Where can NASCAR take the title race with new rotating finale?

Various tracks have hosted the NASCAR finale in the sport’s past, but only four currently on the schedule have ever held the honor before. But none held it longer than Homestead, hosting the championship-decider every year between 2002 and 2019.

The season finale has become increasingly important in the past decade due to the introduction of the knockout-style playoff format. Four drivers, equal on points, enter the finale each year in a one-race battle to win it all. The same organization has won the title at Phoenix all three years of the Next Gen era and several have been critical of the track’s ability to put on a show. The track did make several impressive upgrades, the city did plenty of promotion, but the racing product has been lacking.

This week, NASCAR’s Ben Kennedy talked about what it takes to be considered for the finale as the sport embarks on this plan to rotate the 36th points-paying race of the year. Some of the keys: Must be located in a attractive market, a decent climate for November, a strong on-track product, and a lack of a wildcard factor.

Based on Kennedy’s comments, superspeedways and road courses are out of the question for the immediate future. So that leaves us with intermediates and short tracks, but the short track package has been severely lacking in recent years. Excluding Homestead and Phoenix, let’s take a look at the other tracks that are possible frontrunners to join this rotating schedule and one day become the season finale.

1. Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Las Vegas is a huge market with a lot of eyeballs, which is a major plus, but LVMS is also a thrilling intermediate track with great racing. The current generation of car races best at these 1.5-mile ovals, and Vegas has shown interest in hosting the finale before. There’s also minimal danger of a rainout, so it’s hard to envision a reason not to give it a try. 

2. Charlotte Motor Speedway

This city is the heartbeat of the NASCAR world and already hosts a crown jewel with the Coke 600 in May. And what better place to crown the champion of NASCAR than in NASCAR’s own backyard? While the fall race currently takes place on the Roval, a return to the oval layout needs to happen if CMS become the title-decider. And yes, as another intermediate oval, there should be no concern over the on-track product.

3. Kansas Speedway

Not the most flashy of places, but there’s no denying that Kansas is the action track of modern NASCAR. Nearly every race there in recent years has been filled to the brim with drama. It’s similar to Vegas in some ways, but also unique as the art of running right against the wall is key to be fast. It also holds the record for the closest finish in the entire history of the Cup Series, set when Kyle Larson beat Chris Buescher by 0.001s in 2024.

4. Nashville Superspeedway

Please ignore the official track name as it’s not a true superspeedway, but a unique intermediate track. This is a market that also loves its NASCAR. The summer race at Nashville has only graced the series’ schedule for a few years, but it has quickly become one of the more popular ones and has produced several great moments. And there’s that iconic guitar gifted to the race winner. Nashville is also different from most of the other larger ovals on the schedule as a concrete track measuring 1.330 miles in length. And it’s Nashville, which has hosted the end-of-year banquet before, so why not the finale?

5. Darlington Raceway

Like Charlotte, Darlington already hosts a crown jewel — the oldest in NASCAR with the Southern 500 dating back to 1950. Yes, Darlington is dripping with history, but it’s also one of the most difficult tracks on the entire schedule. The track never fails to put on a show and it is unforgiving when drivers make mistakes. As a true challenge for the best drivers in the sport, it’s the perfect place for putting the Championship 4 to the ultimate test. But there is a drawback: You would have to move the Southern 500 from its traditional Labor Day weekend slot, and it’s not exactly a thriving market either.

6. Texas Motor Speedway

People definitely have reasons to be hesitant about Texas, but we also can’t ignore the benefits either. It’s located in the heart of Texas near a city of one million people and despite the botched reconfiguration, the circuit has put on some dramatic shows in recent years — mostly due to how challenging the track is to navigate. It’s also in a great location when looking at November. The track is aging well and while passing is difficult, but the recent Cup races there don’t really classify as ‘boring.’ Certainly not a favorite, but one that NASCAR surely has to consider (after the five ahead of it of course).

7. Richmond Raceway

We have sort of run out of realistic intermediate tracks at this point. And as much as I’d love to throw Michigan on this list, the weather holds me back. If only there was another track similar to Michigan that has great November weather…perhaps one located in California. Unfortunately, that track is now lost to us, and when looking at short tracks, this one is leading the way. It’s easier to pass than at a Martinsville and if there were multiple tire compounds like we saw in 2024, then we could really be in for a show. It’s location is great and the weather should be fine in Virginia. 

8. Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol looks like a title-decider and it feels like a title-decider. It has everything you could want when talking about atmosphere, but the track has seen some dull races with this car. If NASCAR can fix the short track package, Bristol would vault forward on this list, but at this time, eighth is the best we can do for the ‘Last Great Colosseum.’ 

9. Martinsville Speedway

Already close to the end of the year, Martinsville was once a place — like Bristol — where action was guaranteed. It too has suffered with the current short track package and likely shouldn’t be considered unless a fix is found. Passing is almost impossible and excluding Ross Chastain heroic wall-ride, it has been lacking in drama. Bonuses are its deep roots in the sport and weather-friendly location.

10. A track yet to join the schedule

We’ll call this the mystery spot. NASCAR is always tweaking their schedule and who knows what tracks out there could end up as part of the 36-race season in the future. Gateway and Iowa recently joined and there are plenty of other circuits out there.