Homestead-Miami is looking for ways to host the NASCAR Cup Series championship weekend once again but it won’t be anytime soon. Furthermore, the track might not even get to host a playoff race next year. Jordan Bianchi recently reported news of it being relegated to the regular season in 2025, in a recent episode of the “The Teardown” podcast.
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Reacting to the possibility, NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed his disappointment. He said on his podcast, “I’m disappointed about Homestead leaving the playoffs. We ran Homestead years ago early in the season and it felt weird after having the season finale there for so long. It just doesn’t feel right to put it anywhere else in the season.”
The 1.5-mile track used to host the championship finale for all three NASCAR National Series through 2019. This year, it will be a part of the challenges in the Round of 8, late in October. For Dale Jr, the only move that would justify Homestead-Miami being shifted out of the playoffs is to make it the destination of the season finale once again.
He quipped, “There’s a lot of rumor and speculation about it coming back to the finale. So if it ends up being the finale, I’m okay with them sticking it in March or somewhere for a year.” Word is that the Atlanta Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen will join the track in this transition. Darlington, World Wide Technology Raceway, and the New Hampshire Motor Speedway are the expected replacements.
Dale Jr. opts to get rid of the Charlotte Roval over Homestead-Miami retaining its playoff fixture
Continuing on the podcast, the icon was asked to pick two of three possible scenarios: North Wilkesboro becomes the host of a points-paying race, the Charlotte Roval goes to the Charlotte Oval, and Homestead-Miami continues hosting a playoff race. Dale Jr. went with making the first two a reality and cutting off the third option.
He reasoned that races in Homestead-Miami are interesting regardless of where they are on the calendar. “Homestead is fun wherever we race it in the year,” he declared. “I believe it belongs in the playoffs. It’s a great finale. Is it the only track we can have the season finale at? No. But it was a great one and going back to that will be fun if that’s what happens.”
