Nov 10, 2024; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (right) is presented the Bill France Trophy by NASCAR president Steve Phelps after winning the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Nascar will change course and begin to rotate the headquarters of its championship weekend from 2026.
Only two clues in the last 23 years have housed the triple racing day for the title that closes the season: Homestead-Miami (2002-19) and Phoenix Raceway (2020-current).
As with the Super Bowl or the Final Four, carry the finals of the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series to different locations will increase the exhibition in more markets.
Unlike those events, which are played on courts and uniform fields, Nascar’s rotation model could potentially transform competition due to the different lengths, surfaces and conditions of the circuit tracks.
“That the playoffs are more unpredictable and that the championship headquarters is a different location, I think it gives you the possibility of seeing different teams and pilots will live up to the circumstances and be crowned champions,” said Ben Kennedy, executive vice president of Nascar and director of innovation in headquarters and careers.
Kennedy said that the Homestead-Miami race of 1.5 miles will take place in November 2026, and that the 1-Mile Phoenix race will also remain in the rotation, but other clues will be announced later depending on several factors.
“I would say there are four or five factors,” Kennedy said. “Without a doubt, marketing and promotion, and location. We want to be in a market with a warm weather. Ideally, being in November, the first week of November, it limits the amount of races that can be run a bit. Good amount of capital in Homestead before the race.
I think the racing product is an important part of this. And, in general, it is the opinion of the entire industry. We collaborate with our transmission partners and our teams. We listen to the opinion of our pilots, many of our corporate partners and, finally, of the fans, who have a great influence on this, and every year we know their perspective.
The president of the Homestead-Miami track, Guillermo Santa Cruz, said it was an honor to be the first place in the new rotation.
“There is nothing like having the ability to be the first to get up and have that blank sheet in front and say: ‘Well, what are we going to do?’ And then you start,” he said. “As a creative person, I love that. I love that ability to do that. It’s what I like most in the world.”
This year’s Nascar Championship weekend will be in Phoenix from October 31 to November 2.
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