Homestead-Miami Speedway To Return As Final Race In 2026

HOMESTEAD, FL – NASCAR has announced that Homestead-Miami Speedway will return as the final race of the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Craftsman Truck Series in 2026.

This is part of an even bigger announcement that the Championship race weekend will be held in a different venue each year. Homestead served as the final race of the season from 2002 to 2019. Phoenix Raceway then took Homestead’s spot from 2020 to this current season.

One of racing’s biggest weekends will now be shared by marquee venues across the country! pic.twitter.com/OGvX9LNv0k

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 6, 2025

Now, different venues across the country can become the championship track. This is akin to the NFL’s Super Bowl or NCAA Basketball’s Final Four. NASCAR has remarked that the only tracks that will likely not earn the final race are superspeedways (Such as Daytona & Talladega) and road courses. (Such as Watkins-Glen & Sonoma)

Homestead still served as a Playoff race leading up to the finale in Phoenix. This past race, however, was early in the regular season, with Kyle Larson winning the Sunday Cup Series race.

Now We’re Back On Track

In addition to the return as the final race, Homestead will also be receiving facility upgrades ahead of the races. These consist of improvements to the track’s amenities, infrastructure, and promotional plans.

“First, it’s an honor to be chosen as the first one to be in that rotation,” said the track president of Homestead, Guillermo Santa Cruz. “I think that rotation is a really good model for us to move into. It’s good for the fans, it’s good for the drivers, and it’s great for everybody, and it’ll allow us to really set a lot of precedent and then work with NASCAR more broadly to see how the model is going to be executed. You know, what is it that’s going to move from one track to another?”

“What are the things that can only be done in Miami, because Miami is a certain sort of market, and those things will remain here, but what are the things that the sort of traveling circus will take with it when it goes someplace else? So to be able to impact that from the get-go and be in those conversations from the very beginning and be the ones engaging in that respect, it’s wonderful because we’re starting with a blank sheet of paper.”

A few years ago, thousands of seats were removed near turn one due to declining attendance, while new amenities such as the Container Bar and the Beach Bash were added. With the news of renovations, perhaps there’s a chance that some old seats could return alongside a repave of the asphalt.