NASCAR might fulfill one of the longest-standing demands from fans and drivers soon. Recent reports suggest that the Cup Series finale will be held at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2026. From then on, the promotion would rotate the finale venue regularly.
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While Dale Earnhardt Jr. is pleased with the concept, he isn’t as excited about returning to Miami. The intermediate oval hosted the finale for all three national divisions from 2002 to 2019 before being replaced by the Phoenix Raceway.
Junior explained on his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, that he isn’t excited about going back there since he has already experienced what it has to offer, and so have many others. Instead, he wishes for a different track to be given a shot.
He said, “Homestead will be good. I’m okay with going back there. I’m not as excited as most people because we’ve done it before. For me, it’s better than Phoenix.
“Now we can start up the conversation about where it should go [next].” He bounced around the idea of Las Vegas and Charlotte.
That said, Earnhardt Jr. did agree that the Floridian breeze that Homestead-Miami would offer would be a nice way to conclude a tough season of racing. It was understandable from his words that the weather plays a huge role in assessing which track would be ideal for the finale.
No change in playoff format
The potential change in the finale venue was first reported by Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic. An official update could follow in weeks. This presents a significant boost to the idea that NASCAR does indeed heed the counsel of veteran drivers like Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Kevin Harvick.
Hamlin had proposed to make the finale a three-race series mirroring a mini-playoff round. He stressed that deciding who the champion is based on a single race leaves a lot up to luck and fate. There is no indicator of whether this will be followed yet. Logano and Harvick, on the other hand, simply asked for the venue to be changed at regular intervals.
Harvick, in particular, wanted it to be rotated every three years. As per the latest reports, NASCAR will move the Championship 4 race to a different track after holding it in Homestead-Miami next season. Further clarity on which track this is will be provided in the days to come.
However, it ought to be remembered that a better final destination or the rotational concept does not solve many of the issues with the current elimination-style playoff format.
