In a teleconference on Tuesday, NASCAR provided perception into what’s in play and what’s out of the query as a part of their rotating season finale. The monitor has to verify just a few bins which embody a powerful on-track product, local weather for early November, and naturally, being positioned in a lovely market. However one other side of that’s discovering a venue that finest displays the general schedule and avoiding ‘wildcard’ tracks.
The sanctioning physique introduced a return to Homestead-Miami Speedway for 2026 earlier within the day, ending Phoenix’s six-year run because the title-decider for all three nationwide divisions. It’ll mark the start of a rotating finale with varied tracks serving because the host location from year-to-year.
Homestead hosted the finale from 2002 via 2019 earlier than the shift to Phoenix occurred — the longest consecutive run of any monitor. Within the teleconference, NASCAR Govt Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Improvements Officer, Ben Kennedy revealed that rotating finale will focus primarily on intermediate tracks and even quick tracks.
No superspeedways and highway programs
Kennedy dominated out the thought of using a superspeedway or highway course for the championship race within the speedy future, however he did not utterly shut the door.
“By no means say by no means, however I believe we have unanimously agreed that it must feel and appear like what we might anticipate conventional NASCAR racing to feel and appear like,” defined Kennedy when requested about probably taking the finale to Daytona. “Brief tracks, intermediate tracks, mile tracks are all on the board. Superspeedways, I believe all of us really feel like proper now we would not contemplate that as a championship venue, not that Daytona is not a championship caliber venue.
“There are a number of story strains that come out of these occasions, and we wish to be sure that, once we go to Homestead, Miami, or Phoenix or wherever it could be sooner or later, that there’s a lot of technique and that a number of our championship drivers are additionally contending for the victory on the finish of that race.
“We talked about that. We have talked about highway programs as nicely. Once more, by no means say by no means, however highway programs are in all probability decrease on the record as we take into consideration championship venues. So we’re actually going to hone in on quick tracks and I might say mile-and-a-halfs for now.”
Final-lap crash, Daytona 500 (Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing; Cole Custer, Haas Manufacturing facility Staff; Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing; Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing; Austin Cindric, Staff Penske; Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports)
Picture by: James Gilbert / Getty Photos
NASCAR would not go so far as to say that any monitor is totally excluded, however they did admit that tracks comparable to Michigan and New Hampshire possible aren’t ideally suited because of the time of yr and their geographical location.
“I do not assume something is a nonstarter per se at this level,” stated Kennedy. “We do wish to be sure we’re attempting to keep away from extreme moist climate disruptions on the occasion weekend. Whether it is as far north as a New Hampshire or a Michigan, for instance, we will have a look at over 30 years of previous climate historical past on that date and that weekend to be sure that we’re limiting our dangers as a result of a number of followers will come and camp out for that whole weekend, a number of followers that can drive to see the race, after which many followers that can tune in on TV as nicely.
“If we’ve got snow on the bottom or it is under freezing temperature, followers do not wish to come out for a weekend to a championship venue, and it’s kind of of a problem. We will be considerate about that. I do not assume it guidelines out any venues or tracks per se, however it’s a part of our consideration set.”
Snow falling on Martinsville Speedway
Picture by: NASCAR Media
Tracks NASCAR would not personal could also be within the operating
Kennedy additionally famous that tracks outdoors of the scope of ISC (NASCAR possession) could also be thought-about as nicely, comparable to Speedway Motorsports’ Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“I believe something is on the desk at this level, to be sincere, whether or not it is NASCAR property or elsewhere,” stated Kennedy. “The good half about it’s we’ve got relationship with Speedway Motorsports, and so they have many distinguished occasions within the playoffs, cutoff races on the Charlotte oval and Bristol and a handful of others.
“Nothing to report at the moment on precisely the place we might be contemplating or the place these properties could be, however I believe all playing cards are on the desk at this level.”
Ryan Blaney, Staff Penske Ford
Picture by: Chris Graythen – Getty Photos
NASCAR additionally intends to be faster with its schedule reveal shifting ahead. Final yr, it wasn’t till the top of August when the 2025 schedule was confirmed.
“We would favor to — I might say two components to this,” started Kennedy. “We might choose to announce it sooner after which even have or not it’s annual and as a separate sort of standalone announcement as nicely.
“Our aim is to maneuver up the announcement of the 2026 schedule for this yr. I believe our aim can also be to maneuver up the announcement of the place the championship location goes to be for 2027 and have its personal second within the highlight and within the solar as Homestead-Miami does at the moment.
“I believe that offers us the flexibility — there’s a number of content material, a number of story strains which can be popping out at the moment in regards to the championship race shifting all the way down to Homestead-Miami Speedway. There are going to be a number of different moments that we will have from now till November of ’26 of the emblem unveil, the leisure, every part else that is going to occur and transpire round that weekend, and actually reimagining what the Championship Occasion seems to be like at Homestead-Miami Speedway.”
To summarize, he added: “I wish to transfer up the announcement of the championship location, nonetheless have it as a standalone announcement, after which I believe additionally, to reply your query, is have this be yearly as a substitute of saying two or three or 4 directly.”
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