Darlington, Charlotte, Las Vegas? NASCAR Namedrops Possible Tracks For Championship Race

What’s Happening?

During Friday’s State of the Sport press conference, NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell was asked if NASCAR’s Championship weekend would return to Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2026. In his response, O’Donnell discussed what factors contribute to hosting the championship race and perhaps what locations could host the championship down the line.

• In response to returning the championship to Homestead, O’Donnell stated, “It’s very difficult to replicate what we see this week in the atmosphere, what goes into it, t he crowd that shows up consistently. So as we look and consider other venues, all of that has to come into play.”
• Phoenix Raceway, the current host of the Championship Four, consistently sells out races and has a decent level of crowd excitement. However, the poor short-track racing in the NASCAR Cup Series is resulting in fans pleading with NASCAR to return the championship race to Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.
• Homestead hosted the finale from 2001 to 2019 and is being removed from the playoffs entirely following the 2024 season. Fans want Homestead back because of the memories of those past races and the great Next Gen racing the track puts on.
• As far as returning to Homestead 2026 goes, O’Donnell further stated that the Spring 2025 race at the track will factor into that decision as well. “So Miami’s certainly been one that we’ve looked at, said O’Donnell.” I would say that in March, when we go back, you know, how do we do from an attendance standpoint? That’s going to be really big for us to see.”

Thinking Outside The Box?

• The phrase “one that we’ve looked at” does stand out. However, before anyone could ask the COO to follow up on other potential tracks, O’Donnell went ahead and listed a few different tracks. “And then you look at a number of other venues that are out there, you know, Darlington, Charlotte, you name it, Vegas,” said O’Donnell. “There’s a lot of considerations for us.”
• While it is unclear whether or not these are legitimate candidates to take over the Championship race should Phoenix lose the date, it was rather interesting that O’Donnell would name-drop these locations. NASCAR has locked Phoenix in for the 2025 Championship. However, if the right combination of atmosphere, attendance, and racing emerges, it sounds like NASCAR is open to moving to another venue.

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