NASCAR's season-ending championship weekend is coming home to South Florida for the first time in six years, with all three national series set to crown their 2026 champions at Homestead-Miami Speedway from Nov. 6 through Nov. 8. The track hosted the finale for 18 straight years before losing it to Phoenix Raceway, and organizers are marking the return with a $20 million facility overhaul and a trophy designed by a famous Miami pop artist.
Homestead will host the championship races for the 19th time this year, and track president Guillermo Santa Cruz says the layout itself is part of what makes the event special for competitors, according to WSVN 7News. Phoenix Raceway had held the title races for six consecutive seasons, from 2020 through 2025, after taking over when Homestead's original 18-year run ended in 2019, as reported by FOX Sports.
A $20 Million Makeover Ahead of the Big Weekend
Ahead of the championship's return, Homestead-Miami Speedway is undergoing a $20 million facility renovation that includes a redesigned primary entry gate, a remodeled Ally Champions Club and an expanded fan zone, per Jayski. Organizers expect more than 40,000 racing fans to pack the venue for the weekend, the station's report notes. The speedway isn't just dormant the rest of the year, either — the 650-acre complex hosts on-track activities nearly 300 days annually and generates more than $301 million in annual economic impact for South Florida, according to SportsTravel.
To give the championship a distinct South Florida identity, NASCAR and track officials partnered with Miami pop artist Romero Britto, who is serving as honorary creative director for the weekend. Britto designed a custom Cup Series championship trophy, painted a tower mural and launched a licensed merchandise line tied to the event, according to Jayski.
Drivers Get a Feel for Homestead's Unique Layout
NASCAR held a media day giving drivers and media a hands-on experience with the cars and the track, per the same account. Ryan Preece, a Cup Series driver in this year's playoffs who won the Daytona Coke Zero Sugar 400 in August, said he enjoys racing at Homestead because the track offers drivers the option to run the bottom, middle or top of the surface. Preece described restarts at the speedway as chaotic affairs, with cars running five-wide through the corners.
Santa Cruz echoed that sentiment, telling the station the track's unique design is part of what makes it special for drivers. During the media event, WSVN 7News reporter Mike Dipasquale took a drive-along in a Cup car with a professional driver, reaching speeds over 175 miles per hour on the 1.5-mile oval.
Race Details and a Multi-Year Commitment
The championship weekend itself is a tripleheader: the Craftsman Truck Series runs its 200-mile race Friday evening, Nov. 6, the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series runs 300 miles on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 7, and the Cup Series finale closes out the weekend Sunday, Nov. 8, according to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. That Cup race covers 267 laps and roughly 400 miles, broken into three stages ending at Laps 80, 165 and 267, with national broadcast coverage from NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, per Jayski.
Among the active Cup Series drivers competing for this year's title, only Brad Keselowski in 2012 and Joey Logano in 2018 have previously won a championship at Homestead, Jayski reports — meaning most of this year's playoff field will be chasing a title on unfamiliar championship ground. Homestead will host the event again the following year, from Nov. 12 to 14, 2027, giving South Florida a second consecutive championship weekend before NASCAR's rotation moves elsewhere.
Why the Championship Is on the Move
The return to Homestead isn't a one-off scheduling quirk. NASCAR officially adopted a rotating championship venue model that will move the season-ending tripleheader among marquee tracks and major national markets rather than anchoring it permanently at a single facility, according to Homestead-Miami Speedway. Alongside that rotation announcement, NASCAR also established an internal committee to review its elimination playoff format and consider adjustments aimed at maintaining competitive balance as the finale shifts across different track types, FOX Sports reports.
