Homestead-Miami likely to host 2026 NASCAR championship weekend, according to insider

According to a new report from The Athletic NASCAR reporter Jordan Bianchi, Homestead-Miami Speedway could replace Phoenix Raceway as the host of the championship title race in 2026.

Homestead-Miami Speedway previously hosted the championship title race for the Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck Series from 2002 to 2019.

Bianchi states that the return of Homestead-Miami is understood to be for 2026 only, before the championship title moves to another track from 2027 onwards.

Guillermo Santa Cruz, Homestead-Miami Speedway President, confirmed that hosting the championship title race is still a goal for the circuit.

“It’s definitely something I want to see happen. And I’m hopeful in the not-too-distant future the championship will come back.”

Homestead-Miami vice mayor Sean Fletcher previously stated that it would be a "big deal for the city" as hosting the championship weekend would bring an estimated $350 million to the city. He said:

“It’s really a big deal for the city of Homestead. 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.”

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

NASCAR is yet to comment on the reports.

Phoenix Raceway, which has hosted the championship title weekend since 2020, faced backlash following the 2024 edition of the race, with some arguing that it didn't have the excitement fans expected and was predictable.

NASCAR drivers have their say

Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney previously backed the Arizona circuit, arguing that it doesn't deserve the intense backlash. However, he also backs the idea of moving the championship title race around. 

“I know sometimes this place can get a bad rap from the social media people, but honestly, it puts on good racing,” Blaney said.

“It's gotten kind of wide like it needs to be – it has been for the last handful of years – so, there's lanes and options. The area is (also) fantastic. I think that's also a big thing, like, how nice the area is and how people respond to having this big race in their area. People come from all over the place out here to do it.

“I'm not opposed to having it move to a handful of different places every couple of years, but Phoenix Raceway has proven that they are very worthy of having championship races. They're dedicated and they're psyched for the race weekend. It's hospitality to the fans, hospitality to the teams and putting on good shows, and I think they achieve all that.”

Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier, who currently leads the Xfinity Series, has also backed Phoenix Raceway.

“This race track is so much fun,” Allgaier said. “It’s super difficult finding a rhythm here, because of the different shape of the racetrack. I've been coming here for a long time, and the thing that I love about [Phoenix] is it tests a driver's patience and it tests a crew's patience.

"Everything about this weekend is so hard to manage. I think these races are difficult, but I do believe that this track has amazing racing. I think it's the right place … It shows you what a team is really capable of.”

Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing and drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, has thrown his support for the return of Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“I would certainly like to see [Homestead] play a bigger factor in our championship. 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.”

William Byron

William Byron was questioned ahead of the Homestead-Miami race earlier this season about whether he would like to see the track host the championship race. He explained:

“Well, we won here when it was in the spring. That was good, hopefully, that will happen again. But yeah, I think it’s due for hopefully being the final race. It sounds like that’s what’s gonna happen. We have been in the top five most of the time but just gotta get a little bit better."