Homestead-Miami Speedway expected to host NASCAR title race in 2026: Sources
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.
Advertisement
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.'
Advertisement
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.'
(Photo of Joey Logano winning the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series title at Homestead-Miami Speedway: Sean Gardner / Getty Images)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
10 minutes ago
- New York Times
Crystal Palace, UEFA and CAS: What now for the club, the manager and players?
Three months after winning the FA Cup, Crystal Palace finally know which European competition they will play in this season. Confirmation came just before 11:30am on Monday morning, but it was not good news. Palace will be in the Conference League. After UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) ruled Palace were in breach of multi-club rules and demoted them from the Europa League, for which they had qualified courtesy of that FA Cup win, the club appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). But after a hearing last Friday, CAS communicated on Monday that they had upheld the original decision. Advertisement With that news came anger and fury from the Palace supporters, and bitter disappointment for those at the club. The initial decision had felt, chairman Steve Parish said, 'a terrible injustice'. This, too, will feel that way. Less than 24 hours earlier, they had celebrated winning a second trophy in three months after defeating Liverpool in the Community Shield at Wembley. This was a brutal return to earth with a bump. Regardless, the ramifications of the UEFA and CAS rulings could be far-reaching across the club. First, it's worth clinging to a small positive. While they will not be admitted to the Europa League, it should not be forgotten that Palace will still be embarking upon their first campaign in European competition. Amid all the understandable doom and gloom and disappointment, that is a small chink of light for all involved. They have not yet given up on this case, either. Not necessarily in the hope they could yet secure a reprieve and a return to UEFA's second competition, but they might explore suing their former major shareholder, John Textor, who has since sold Eagle Football's 43 per cent stake in the club to Woody Johnson. If that were to happen, they would seek to recoup their extensive legal costs and look to claim damages for the difference in prize money between the Europa League and Conference League. Roughly speaking, the overall prize pot for teams competing in the Conference League (€285m; $330m) is around half that of clubs in the Europa League (€565m). It should also be noted that Palace would have qualified automatically for the group stage of the Europa League. By dropping down into the Conference League, they must now beat either the Norwegian side Fredrikstad or Denmark's Midtjylland — currently going head-to-head to reach the Europa League — in the Conference League play-off round to reach the group stage. Their opponents are likely to be Fredrikstad, who are 3-1 down from their home leg. Their point of contention is primarily that Textor did not act when UEFA's email was received by Lyon and missed by Palace. Had he done so, Palace argue, he could have placed his shares into a blind trust ahead of the designated deadline of March 1, and both sides would be competing in the Europa League. Advertisement Textor is relaxed about any legal action that may come his way, but, regardless of the success, it demonstrates the strength of feeling around the situation and reiterates that sense that everyone around this situation feels as if they have been wronged. 'I remain stunned by UEFA's decision to ignore all of the evidence and the on-pitch result to demote Crystal Palace from the Europa League,' he told The Athletic. 'The rule is clear: a (blind) trust is only needed if there is decisive influence. If I had decisive influence, then you would have already seen Eagle Football players on the ground at Selhurst Park, but after four years of ownership, there is not one example of multi-club collaboration on the Palace roster. 'Unfortunately, the insanity at UEFA will be resolved, and we will come to learn of their remedy as the 'Crystal Palace rule' in 2026, but that will be tragically late for a community that deserves better.' That the final outcome came after winning the Community Shield is all the more galling. UEFA's ruling was delivered two months after the FA Cup victory — a period that should have been one of celebration, but which became sullied by the anxious realisation that there could be an issue just days after that success. Palace deserved to have been able to enjoy their outstanding achievements for longer and without the next chapter being shaped by decisions made in a courtroom rather than on the pitch. There is also a sense of deja vu to all this. After finishing third in the top flight in 1990-91, they were denied what they thought would be a UEFA Cup place in the final weeks of the campaign. English clubs had been banned from European competition following the Heysel disaster in 1985, with Liverpool handed an extended ban. However, Liverpool's ban was lifted a few weeks before the end of the campaign, meaning Palace missed out. Advertisement This time they will compete in a lesser competition than the one they had anticipated — if they emerge successfully through the qualifier — but it is still almost as agonising. Palace will, eventually, seek to draw a line under this saga, however hard that may be, and move on with Johnson as the fourth principal owner, and look to be strong on the pitch across four competitions. For some of Palace's key players who have been in demand this summer, playing in a third-tier European competition may not be especially attractive. Striker Jean-Philippe Mateta in particular is eager to play in the Champions League, while it could now prove more difficult to keep hold of Eberechi Eze and captain Marc Guehi, both of whom are likely to feel they should be showcasing their talents in Europe's most prestigious competition. Glasner did not rule out the departure of either player this summer in his pre-match Community Shield press conference, while Parish conceded after the game that they might have to sell Guehi, who is out of contract next summer. The CAS ruling will not help their cause in that respect. 'We'd have to,' Parish said when asked if they would sell Guehi should an acceptable offer be made. 'For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it's a problem. We had one bid (last summer), but Joachim (Andersen) went (to Fulham instead) and we couldn't afford to lose both defenders. 'We had another bid in January, but that was a difficult situation as well. The player had a point of view on that one. We'll have to see what happens, but it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.' That said, no Palace player has as yet walked into the club and demanded a move on the back of the CAS decision. Palace would play an additional six games, guaranteed, if they emerge through their Conference League play-off fixture, but travel is likely to be more onerous, with trips to distant parts of Europe due to the calibre of teams involved. Chelsea, last year's winners, took an inexperienced squad to Almaty, Kazakhstan, last December for a group game against Astana in the competition. But even they found recovery time and performances affected back in the Premier League. Palace, in contrast, boast a far thinner squad, and the extra travelling may put significant extra pressure on their Premier League performances. If they enjoy a run deep into the Conference League, which is plausible, that additional load will surely take its toll. Glasner has called for at least two more signings after a 'passive' window, and, while he is content to work with a smaller squad, it does feel as though Palace require further reinforcements to provide proper strength in depth — and should any important players leave, then it will become even more essential. Advertisement 'It helps if players are in early when you start pre-season because you have time to train,' Glasner said on Friday. 'After this, training has more or less stopped, and it's just games. It makes it harder to integrate players. This is what we missed (by not making early signings). But I never complain, it's in the past, I can't complain. 'We definitely need two more players. One at the back, one in attack. We have good numbers, good quality, good competition. Challenging players for the top level is what we need.' Palace's transfer activity has been hindered by all the uncertainty this summer. Prospective signings would have sought clarity and certainty before committing. Their financial position is also awkward, with Parish saying the club is still paying off transfer fees for players signed in previous seasons, cautioning against lofty expectations for a host of new arrivals as a result. It seems clear that Glasner will have to work with only a small number of additions to his existing squad. 'If we had four more players, I don't know what we could achieve, but it's not as simple as that,' Parish said. 'We have a lot of outgoings this year because we're paying a lot of transfer fees for players we already have. We'll do whatever we can. 'At some point, you have to recycle your squad or you're pushing off problems. We'll do everything we can in the next few weeks to give ourselves the best chance. I'm aware we're in four competitions and it's not going to be easy. 'Maybe Ismaila (Sarr) will go to the Africa Cup of Nations (in December). We're trying to cope with all those things. But the amount of money we have isn't infinite.' Glasner's approach to management is focused. He tries to stay in the moment and avoids looking too far back or ahead, preferring instead to scrutinise variables he and his team can control. That will be the way forward for him now. There will no doubt be disappointment, particularly given he won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022. He has a track record in that competition, but he is extremely ambitious and has belief in his staff and his players. His mindset will now be on trying to win the Conference League and improve on last season's 12th-placed Premier League finish. It may be more challenging now for Palace to convince players to join, particularly if they are competing for those players with teams in better competitions. But there are still draws, with Glasner as good a sales pitch as any, and the excellent spirit within the dressing room that has been cultivated since his arrival. Advertisement Given that Palace are generally targeting younger talents with a view to developing them, that calibre of player may still be enticed by the opportunity to compete in Europe, even if it is in the Conference League. Despite the disappointment, Palace will be one of the strongest teams in the Conference League and among the favourites to win it. To go all the way, lift another trophy, and qualify for the 2026-27 Europa League would be the perfect response to being denied what they believe was their rightful place. Nothing, surely, would stand in their way. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Where's the NASCAR In-Season Challenge trophy? Ty Gibbs is looking for other wins
Ty Gibbs doesn't know the whereabouts of his NASCAR In-Season Challenge trophy. 'Honestly, I forgot about it for the last week or two or whenever Indy was,' he said with a chuckle this week. His best guess: the Joe Gibbs Racing shop in Huntersville, North Carolina. But it's not that the 22-year-old doesn't care. He just remains hyperfocused on the next few weeks. Gibbs sits 19th in the playoff standings, three spots and 87 points back of the final postseason berth ahead of the Cup Series' trip to Watkins Glen this weekend. Three weeks left in the regular season. No time to worry about anything else. Ty Gibbs reflects on NASCAR In-Season Challenge win Gibbs claimed the inaugural in-season tournament by piloting his No. 54 Toyota to 21st during the Brickyard 400 at the end of July. In the final event of the five-week bracket, he just needed to beat Ty Dillon, who ended up in 28th. 'It was very cool,' said Gibbs, who wouldn't mind seeing the challenge return for a second year. 'I think the fans liked it as well because they could bet on it a lot, too. It was cool, fun to do and fun to be a part of.' Afterward, Gibbs pledged $10,000 of his $1 million prize to a charity of Dillon's choosing. It was an impromptu thought, but one Gibbs and Dillon fully intend to work out. 'We're in the midst of talking about it right now, so just seeing where his idea is there,' Gibbs said. He has not spent any of the money yet. When asked if he plans to splurge on something fun, he said it will probably go toward racing expenses. There's that focus again. Ty Gibbs heads to Watkins Glen in search of first win Gibbs doesn't fantasize about his first win. 'I don't idolize it,' he said before clarifying. 'But I focus on it a lot and just try to go at it every week and make it an option every week.' Gibbs rose through the ranks as one of NASCAR's hottest prospects. In March of 2019, he debuted in ARCA. He scored his first victory that June. Across three ARCA seasons, he ran 47 races and settled into the top 10 in all but five of them. He scored 18 wins. Same deal in the Xfinity Series. He sped to a victory in his first race on the Daytona road course in February of 2021. In 66 races at that level, he already holds 12 wins. But in the Cup Series, he's still pursuing that first visit to Victory Lane. Gibbs has started 109 races over four years since his 2022 debut at Pocono. He's gotten close. After eight top-five finishes in 2024, he's racked up four this season. That includes a second-place mark at the Chicago Street Race last month. 'We're kind of a young team,' Gibbs said. 'A lot of our guys are new in that position, so just kind of getting a feel for that and everybody getting experience has been the biggest key.' Last fall, Gibbs received his first taste of the playoffs. He gained entry on points. This year, that looks like a tougher proposition. He probably needs a win at Watkins Glen, Richmond or Daytona. 'They're all circled,' Gibbs said. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR driver Ty Gibbs remains playoff-focused before Watkins Glen
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Connor Zilisch injury update: NASCAR driver falls after winning Xfinity Series race
Connor Zilisch's celebration of his NASCAR Xfinity Series win on Saturday, Aug. 9, quickly turned into a scary moment. While in Victory Lane following the Mission 200 at The Glen, the 19-year-old JR Motorsports driver placed his right foot on the roof of his No. 88 Chevrolet and his left foot on the window. He then appeared to lose his balance, with his left foot getting caught inside his car and twisting as he fell hard to the pavement. Zilisch did not immediately move. Medical personnel put him on a backboard and loaded him into an ambulance. He was transported to the infield care center before being moved to a local hospital for further evaluation. It was later determined he broke his collarbone. Connor Zilisch injury update Zilisch was released from the hospital Saturday evening. He offered his own update on social media. At Watkins Glen, he earned his sixth victory of the season. He remains one of NASCAR's most talented prospects and is expected to jump to the Cup Series full-time next season. Zilisch was scheduled to run the Cup Series' Go Bowling at The Glen for Trackhouse Racing on Sunday. He qualified 25th early Saturday afternoon. But Trackhouse released a statement Saturday night announcing it was withdrawing Zilisch's entry. Each car on the inside row that lined up behind Zilisch will move up a row. (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Connor Zilisch falls after winning NASCAR Xfinity race: Injury update
