2026 NASCAR Schedule

Per Jordan Bianchi of the Athletic:

“ Homestead-Miami Speedway is expected to host NASCAR’s national championship weekend in 2026, according to multiple sources briefed on the plans but not authorized to speak publicly, with an announcement tentatively planned in the coming weeks.

The 1.5-mile track in South Florida previously hosted the championship weekend for NASCAR’s three national series — Cup, Xfinity and Trucks — from 2002 to 2019 before NASCAR shifted the November event to Phoenix Raceway.

Homestead returning as the championship host for all three series will likely be well received by competitors and fans alike, with the track regarded as one of the best on the schedule due to its propensity for producing quality racing.

The title weekend moving to Homestead is just for the 2026 season, according to those sources, as another track will be selected to host in 2027, beginning a rotation in which a different venue is chosen each year. Phoenix is expected to be included in this rotation, the sources said, and the track will continue to have two races each season.

NASCAR declined to comment.

“It’s definitely something I want to see happen,” Homestead track president Guillermo Santa Cruz said last month. “And I’m hopeful in the not-too-distant future the championship will come back.”

Behind the scenes, Santa Cruz and NASCAR have been working for some time with elected county and city officials along with the state of Florida and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau to put together a financial incentive package that would assist in the promotion of championship weekend throughout the South Florida market and with infrastructural improvements the track needs.

These efforts, while still ongoing, have thus far not materialized. Still, the sources said, NASCAR recently decided that, despite the current lack of financial commitment from the local community, it is in the sport’s best interest for Homestead to host championship weekend, with NASCAR covering the necessary expenses to ensure the event is a success.

Homestead vice mayor Sean Fletcher said last month that the track hosting championship weekend provides an estimated $350 million economic boost to the area.

“It’s really a big deal for the city of Homestead,” Fletcher said. “I think it’s the perfect race for the drivers; they love the track. It’s really a driver’s racetrack. And that’s a great time of year to be in South Florida.”

Since Homestead last hosted championship weekend in 2019, the track has bounced around NASCAR’s calendar. In different years it has been placed in the playoff portion of the schedule or at some point in the spring, as was the case this season when its race weekend was slated for March.

“I would certainly like to see (Homestead) play a bigger factor in our championship,” Joe Gibbs Racing driver and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin said last month. “Whether it’s in the playoffs, just a part of the championship race or round, or whatever it might be, I’d like to see it be a part of that as, like we just talked about, the driver makes a bigger difference at this track compared to the car.”
 
A rotation of tracks that will host the championship! This is awesome news! If you’re going to try to be a stick and ball sport in terms of crowning a champion this is a way to do it. One track shouldn’t host the final each year, it was never fair. I’ve been shouting from the mountaintops the Championship Race should rotate between Phoenix- Vegas-Fontana Short Track-Texas-Nashville or FGS- Charlotte oval-Atlanta-Homestead.
 
Daytripper said:
Not Atlanta, the championship shouldn't be decided at a plate track, outside of that this is great news
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It won’t race like that forever, once the pavement wears more and you’ll see even more tire fall off, the pack breaks up. It happens during races there now to an extent
 
I think the championship should stay at Homestead.

It's a neutral site since it only has one race.


What I would do is, if the finale is rotated, rotate between Miami, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Texas, and then move the All Star Race to Bowman Gray. Give Bristol's Spring date to Rockingham. Give one of the playoff tracks' spring date to Rockingham.
 
Love the Championship Weekend experience at Phoenix, but whatevs. Phoenix is keeping two dates, so that is good. Move Phoenix back to a Round 3 race. Maybe Homestead can rip more seats out to make it look like people really care that it is there?
 
Powder puff relay race. Wives and gfs of drivers race and trade off with the guy. Make it for 1 million to charity. Prime time.

Open it to drivers of all series.
 
DanicaFreak said:
Powder puff relay race. Wives and gfs of drivers race and trade off with the guy. Make it for 1 million to charity. Prime time.

Open it to drivers of all series.
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I’m lost. What would be the benefit of this and you’re running this on championship weekend ? The most important weekend of the year for all drivers/crew/sponsors that are in the final four…I don’t follow this idea.
 
Jorge De Guzman said:
I’m lost. What would be the benefit of this and you’re running this on championship weekend ? The most important weekend of the year for all drivers/crew/sponsors that are in the final four…I don’t follow this idea.
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Oh. I’m sorry. Don’t run it on championship weekend-just a thought for a special race. Again I’m sorry for my confusion
 
Jorge De Guzman said:
A rotation of tracks that will host the championship! This is awesome news! If you’re going to try to be a stick and ball sport in terms of crowning a champion this is a way to do it. One track shouldn’t host the final each year, it was never fair. I’ve been shouting from the mountaintops the Championship Race should rotate between Phoenix- Vegas-Fontana Short Track-Texas-Nashville or FGS- Charlotte oval-Atlanta-Homestead.
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Could not agree more since my initial reaction was "well that's better than Phoenix for sure but now it's Larson's to lose." Rotating it will be good though just in the sense that one team can't just sit on being good at one place like Penske has. Curious to know what other tracks folks would like to see. I know it's unpopular but I'd like for Atlanta to host it. At least all drivers in the race would have an equal shot but I know it'd be too much of a crapshoot with who gets caught up in a wreck or not.
 
Revman said:
Love the Championship Weekend experience at Phoenix, but whatevs. Phoenix is keeping two dates, so that is good. Move Phoenix back to a Round 3 race. Maybe Homestead can rip more seats out to make it look like people really care that it is there?
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Man - Glad you like Phoenix but can't remember the last time I enjoyed a race there. I wish the Rock would get their spring date.
 
I mean, it'd be a lot easier for me to attend a championship weekend at Texas by driving 5 hours one way as opposed to driving 16 hours to Phoenix or 24 hours to Miami. So yeah, I'd totally support a rotation if Texas was included in that rotation. If no rotation, keep it at Miami. The racing is better there than it is at Phoenix.
 
Southern Florida, Dega, Texas, Phoenix and Vegas are about the only tracks weather wise at that time of the year. I'm not a big fan of either Homestead or Phoenix and coupled with my attitude about the rinky dink playoffs, I think they should decide the champion at Talladega. If they all wreck, just have a pill draw.
 
In no particular order, I see the options as Homestead, Daytona road course and oval, Darlington, Atlanta, Charlotte road course and oval, Talladega, Texas, COTA, Las Vegas, Phoenix.

Take out the road courses and draft tracks, leaving Homestead, Darlington, Charlotte oval, Texas, Las Vegas, Phoenix.

I want to see Charlotte keep their fall race on the road course, and NASCAR isn't going to give SMI a third points race in the season, so strictly for personal reasons I don't want the Charlotte oval in the rotation.

That leaves Homestead, Darlington, Texas, Las Vegas, Phoenix. I can get along happily with all five of them but I don't know how many NASCAR wants in the rotation. If I had to drop one, Phoenix; I've always said that race is too short to decide a champion. If I had to drop two, Phoenix and Texas. That would leave Homestead, Darlington, and Las Vegas, three tracks of nearly the same length but very different configurations.

Not that our opinions will matter in the corporate offices. I doubt they'll want Darlington because it's a small market with no razzle-dazzle.
 
StandOnIt said:
Southern Florida, Dega, Texas, Phoenix and Vegas are about the only tracks weather wise at that time of the year. I'm not a big fan of either Homestead or Phoenix and coupled with my attitude about the rinky dink playoffs, I think they should decide the champion at Talladega. If they all wreck, just have a pill draw.
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People keep saying that but how much does the weather change in a week? They have no problem running at Martinsville a week before the championship so any track further south than Pocono would be fine to have the championship at.
 
I’ve attended both Kansas and Atlanta in near freezing temperatures. It’s not pleasant, but it’s manageable for a 3 hour race. Tracks will let you bring in blankets, hot hands and whatever else you need. Heck, look at all these people who watch football in freezing temperatures. If those fans can do it, so can we. Obviously the snow would be a problem, but so is the rain, which is an issue all throughout the season. Give the championship race a shot in a cold climate and see how many people show up. If not many, then yeah, maybe don’t do it again. But if they don’t try, they’ll never know.
 
Scheduling Atlanta's 2nd race in the summertime is ridiculous, even at night. Rotating between Phoenix, Atlanta and Miami would be fine, giving the other two 3rd round playoff dates in the off-years.
 
I personally cannot wait for the finale to wind up being at the Hard Rock Stadium temporary circuit or COTA. :cool:
 
Great news. Can’t understand why Rev is so down on Homestead. Have you been there during Championship weekend? I have many times. It’s not a glamor track, but great sight lines, a fun venue and typically good racing. Some additions on infrastructure needed to add some extra suites. We’ve sat up top on the start finish line with access to the VIP bar, and we’ve sat mid height beyond. Pit access is really good.

As for the rotation I’d like to see Homestead, Atlanta, Vegas and Texas instead of Phoenix, but oh well.
 
Conover said:
Great news. Can’t understand why Rev is so down on Homestead. Have you been there during Championship weekend? I have many times. It’s not a glamor track, but great sight lines, a fun venue and typically good racing. Some additions on infrastructure needed to add some extra suites. We’ve sat up top on the start finish line with access to the VIP bar, and we’ve sat mid height beyond. Pit access is really good.

As for the rotation I’d like to see Homestead, Atlanta, Vegas and Texas instead of Phoenix, but oh well.
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I don’t see Atlanta in this format. Homestead, Vegas, Phoenix and Darlington are perfect for a title race.
 
Mispeedway15 said:
I don’t see Atlanta in this format. Homestead, Vegas, Phoenix and Darlington are perfect for a title race.
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I understand…I’d just like Atlanta because it represents a superspeedway race without being a draft brigade wipeout track like Dega or Daytona. Darlington would be great in place of Texas. So let’s say Homestead, Atlanta, Vegas and Darlington (instead of the spring race…gotta keep the tradition of Labor Day).
 
StandOnIt said:
Southern Florida, Dega, Texas, Phoenix and Vegas are about the only tracks weather wise at that time of the year. I'm not a big fan of either Homestead or Phoenix and coupled with my attitude about the rinky dink playoffs, I think they should decide the champion at Talladega. If they all wreck, just have a pill draw.
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Why not Atlanta? It hosted the championship for years and is a speedway race now similar to Talledega with maybe a little less carnage.
 
Jimbo Slice said:
Scheduling Atlanta's 2nd race in the summertime is ridiculous, even at night. Rotating between Phoenix, Atlanta and Miami would be fine, giving the other two 3rd round playoff dates in the off-years.
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Yeah - we want to go there next season but I am not thrilled with the idea of the heat in the summer. If it's not going to be the finale I'd still like to see it as a fall race.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
You say that as if you think it's a good thing. :p
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The appeal to me is that at least it will be more in the driver's hands and I won't go into the season thinking "well if ____ makes the final 4 it will be their title to lose" or the opposite of that which has been the past few years thinking if Chase or Larson make the final 4 it won't much matter. I think eventually the season will start and end at Daytona.
 
Chase Fan 79 said:
I'm fuzzy but I don't recall weather being an issue at Atlanta back when it was the final race....was it?
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it rained one of the years Jeff Gordon won his championship I think in 98? They had to race at like 2Am to get the race in. I just remember it being a bit cold but other than that nothing too crazy
 
Chase Fan 79 said:
The appeal to me is that at least it will be more in the driver's hands
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At Atlanta? I can think of only two tracks where the race is LESS in the driver's hands. One day this track may age to the point where a driver isn't dependent on others to help him in the draft. Until then, I don't want to see a championship decided by which driver was able to get the most other cars (from the same manufacturer) to push him.
Chase Fan 79 said:
I think eventually the season will start and end at Daytona.
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And that's one of the two where a driver has the least control over his destiny.
 
StandOnIt said:
I don't have a problem with Atlanta except the chance of decent weather could be a factor.
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Chase Fan 79 said:
I'm fuzzy but I don't recall weather being an issue at Atlanta back when it was the final race....was it?
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Let's remember that back when Atlanta was the last race, the schedule was between 2 and 6 races shorter and ended earlier. Now there's almost no break in the schedule. If a race is delayed a few days, the only option now is to move it to the end of the schedule. That could result in NASCAR having to jigger the rotation and have the finale at the postponed track a week later than when Atlanta is scheduled.
 
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