Daytona Worldwide Speedway won’t be among the many tracks thought-about for NASCAR’s Championship Weekend, a senior government mentioned Tuesday.
So, no, the season received’t begin and finish at Daytona for individuals who counsel it.
However what tracks could possibly be thought-about for the season finale?
NASCAR introduced Tuesday that Homestead-Miami Speedway, a 1.5-mile monitor, will host the season finale for Cup, Xfinity and the Craftsman Truck Sequence on Nov. 6-8, 2026. Homestead hosted Championship Weekend from 2002-19.
NASCAR will start rotating websites for the championship race in 2026.
Phoenix, which has hosted the title races since 2020, will likely be among the many tracks that can rotate to host the season finale.
Ben Kennedy, NASCAR government vp, chief venue & racing innovation officer, mentioned to not count on Daytona Worldwide Speedway to be among the many tracks within the rotation for the Championship Weekend. He mentioned the main focus is on brief tracks and intermediate tracks the place NASCAR will crown its champions.
“By no means say by no means, however I believe we’ve unanimously agreed that (the title race) must appear and feel like what we might count on conventional NASCAR racing to appear and feel like,” Kennedy mentioned. “So brief tracks, intermediate tracks, mile tracks are all on the board. Superspeedways, I believe, all of us really feel proper now we wouldn’t take into account that as a championship venue, not that Daytona isn’t a championship-caliber venue.
“… We need to guarantee that after we go to Homestead-Miami or Phoenix or wherever it could be sooner or later, that there’s a lot of technique and that loads of our championship drivers are additionally contending for the victory on the finish of that race.”
From Jimmie Johnson’s record-tying seventh Cup title to Chase Elliott changing into the youngest Xfinity champion, Homestead has witnessed a lot via the years.
Kennedy additionally famous that highway programs fall into an identical class as superspeedways in not being a candidate to host a championship occasion.
That will get rid of the next tracks from consideration: Daytona, Talladega (superspeedway), Atlanta (Superspeedway-style racing), Circuit of the Americas (highway course), Sonoma (highway course), Watkins Glen (highway course), Charlotte Roval (highway course) and Mexico Metropolis (highway course). That is the third and last 12 months of the present contract for the Chicago Avenue Race and no extension has been introduced.
NASCAR will have a look at different elements in choosing its host for the championship weekend.
“As you consider a championship race, ideally a heat climate form of local weather location,” Kennedy mentioned. “You possibly can’t race in all places on this planet, particularly in early November, so there’s a handful of venues and properties that we are inclined to gravitate in direction of.”
Different tracks doubtless eradicated due to climate or another issue can be Michigan, New Hampshire, Pocono, Dover, Indianapolis, Iowa, Richmond and World Broad Know-how Raceway close to St. Louis.
Darlington doubtless wouldn’t be thought-about as a result of the Southern 500 is historically held on Labor Day weekend. NASCAR is aware of the wrath of followers with taking that race off that weekend and received’t repeat that.
Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile concrete monitor, may faucet into the town’s pleasure however the monitor is about 30 miles from the town and in addition may use further services.
A have a look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Martinsville can be intriguing however climate could possibly be a difficulty and the restricted variety of suites on the historic monitor, together with not being in a significant metropolis, can be elements.
Bristol has the power to host a championship race however the climate in early November could possibly be a query.
If the NASCAR season may finish in mid-October, then that might give stronger consideration to Bristol — and others. However learn how to finish the season early will likely be troublesome in coming years, particularly if the NFL provides an 18th regular-season sport and strikes the Tremendous Bowl again every week into when the Daytona 500 sometimes is. That will have an effect on the remainder of the collection schedule. NASCAR already tried mid-week races and TV viewership was not robust sufficient to proceed that.
Amongst tracks, together with Phoenix and Homestead, that could possibly be thought-about to host the season finale can be:
— Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile monitor that has hosted a playoff race since 2018 when it began having two Cup dates.
— Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile monitor that hosted playoff races from 2005-23.
— Kansas Speedway, a 1.5-mile monitor that has hosted playoff races since 2004 however climate may hold it from internet hosting the title race except the tip of the season is moved up.
— Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile monitor that hosted playoff races on the oval from 2004-17 earlier than the playoff race was moved to the monitor’s Roval. Any finale there can be on the oval.
