Denny Hamlin Delivers Verdict On Major NASCAR Finale Change
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has shared his verdict on NASCAR's decision to move to championship finale race from Phoenix to Homestead-Miami.
NASCAR announced earlier this month that the title-race triple-header will rotate between a "handful of tracks."
Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer stated at the time:
"If you've watched a lot of other sports properties that are moving the location around year after year, part of that is to build up pent-up demand.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 10, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 10, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas."But part of it is that variability in a lot of the markets, and then a little bit of it is what we talked about as well is just having a little bit of differentiation as it relates to the competition and racing product as well.
"Having the playoffs be more unpredictable every year, the championship venue to be at a different location, I think gives you the ability to see different teams and drivers kind of rise to the occasion to be able to be crowned a champion."
Speaking on the Actions Detrimental podcast (below), Hamlin shared his excitement for the return to Homestead-Miami, while also acknowledging that Phoenix had also deserved the coveted spot on the calendar. The 23XI Racing co-owner explained:
"I'm glad to see it back at Homestead. Phoenix is a great venue the way they upgraded the facilities. The fan interaction, the fan zone in there is fantastic. They spent money on the facility to upgrade and make it up to Championship standards.
"The town always supports us, and it's always crowded, doesn't matter if it's spring or the fall Championship race. Phoenix fans show out for us, which is why they deserved to have the Championship race for so long."
Homestead-Miami track president Guillermo Santa Cruz claimed it is an "honor" to host the first championship race as part of the new rotational model. He commented:
"First, it's an honor to be chosen as the first one to be in that rotation.
"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 out with a blank sheet of paper.
"The NASCAR team is wonderful, but there's nothing like having that ability to be the first one up and to have that blank sheet of paper in front of you and say, 'OK, what are we going to do?' Then you start. As a creative person, I love that. I love that ability to do that. That's my favorite thing in the world."
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