NASCAR Exec Says Homestead Will Likely Host 2027 Championship Race
What’s Happening? NASCAR’s Mike Forde says that Homestead-Miami Speedway will likely host 2027 NASCAR Championship weekend, despite NASCAR looking towards a…
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Team, Alpha Prime Racing, recently announced that Jusan Hamilton will be the new President of the team and take over the leadership role previously held by co-owner Tommy Joe Martins, who served as the leader of Alpha Prime Racing for its entire seven-year existence, including its time as Martins Motorsports.
Hamilton spent years inside NASCAR, most recently as managing director of competition operations since 2022, even becoming the first Black race director of the Daytona 500 after first getting his foot in the door as an intern in 2012 and returning in 2016. But then, near the close of the 2025 season in September, NASCAR cut ties with him.
And now he is stepping into a role where he will be responsible for laying foundations, building systems that scale, molding leadership from the inside out, and setting the team on a path that lasts. Hamilton is clear about his vision, and his first steps will revolve around listening, getting everyone on the same page, and turning plans into action.
Breaking the news, Martins took to X and wrote, “My new role is to spot for @LavarScott and support @JusanHamilton during his transition. I’m 100% confident he’s the right person to lead @TeamAlphaPrime, and I know he’ll take it to another level. Racing takes total commitment. For me, it was time. Our team needs a new voice.”
Hamilton echoed Martins’ sentiment, posting, “Appreciative of the opportunity and excited to help build what’s next with Alpha Prime Racing,” on his official X handle.
He stressed that his first order of business is drawing clear lines around expectations and goals, while building a space where people can show up and deliver on the track, because strong teams do not grow by accident, and that work starts now. Moving from the rulebook side of the sport into the garage, Hamilton will have to make decisions that hit the stopwatch right away.
The 31-year-old has worn many hats within NASCAR. He oversaw the Drive for Diversity program, pit crew development, and pro iRacing divisions, all while serving as race director. He also played a hand in shaping the yearly schedule, including helping bring new venues into the fold as the sport stretched its legs.
The team first joined the NASCAR stage in 2014 with the Blue Jeans Go Green 200 race at Phoenix and now fields three cars in the Tier 2 Series, two full-time and one part-time. Still, they have often found themselves chasing the pack instead of becoming a threat to outfits like JR Motorsports.
And the leadership shift is expected to be a fork in the road, as the team will look to sharpen its edge and take a new course in the sport. With Hamilton stepping in, the hope is to tighten the bolts internally and open doors that may have stayed shut before.
Bringing more than a decade of senior leadership experience from NASCAR, including time as managing director for competition operations and race director, Hamilton will be seen as someone who can help move the team from scrappy contender to an outfit built to last.
Tommy Joe Martins himself pointed to Hamilton’s experience and mindset as the reasons he believes the handoff makes sense and could push the team up the ladder.
Having called races and handled competition calls, Hamilton knows the rulebook inside out, giving the team someone who can read between the lines when it comes to officiating and race flow. His background dealing with stakeholders at the top levels of NASCAR could potentially also bring new sponsors into the fold while keeping current partners close.
Given Hamilton’s past work with the Drive for Diversity program and pit crew development, he could play a big role in helping young talent like Lavar Scott find their place and grow within the system.
The three drivers currently associated with the team are: Brennan Poole, who has been behind the wheel of the No. 44 Chevy full-time for the past two seasons, wrapping up those years in P16 and P20. Alongside him, Lavar Scott will take the No. 45 Chevrolet full-time this season after two starts with the team last year at Dover and Gateway, finishing P28 and P19.
Co-owner Caesar Bacarella was to run part-time in the 2026 United Rentals 300 at Daytona, as announced in January. But after Anthony Alfredo failed to qualify in the No. 96 car, a late swap saw him strike a deal with Alpha Prime Racing to run the No. 4 entry, bumping Bacarella from the seat. Even so, Bacarella has quite some experience driving in the series, having made 36 starts in nine years, of which he has finished four in the top 10. And he might make a few starts going forward this season.
Looking ahead, Hamilton’s arrival could shape how the drivers and team build, as Alpha Prime Racing looks to steady the ship, find its rhythm, and make sure the next chapter lands on firmer ground.
How do you think this will affect Alpha Prime’s performance moving forward? Let us know your opinions on Discord or X, and don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Throughout 2026, NASCAR will announce dates for its 2027 schedule. Though the sport drops the full schedule in bulk, tracks will be announced prior to the 2027 NASCAR National Series schedules being released in full. For the dates announced throughout the 2026 season, this article will place them on the calendar to provide a clearer view of the upcoming season.
*These dates are assumed based on tradition, with the NASCAR OAP Series racing the night before the Daytona 500, and the Craftsman Truck Series racing on the Friday before. Furthermore, the Duels have occurred on the Thursday before the 500 since 2014. All of these dates are subject to change and will be updated if any changes occur.
**In February, Mike Forde of NASCAR said that Homestead will likely be the 2027 season finale host and the rotating finale could begin in 2028. This is still not confirmed, and NASCAR has yet to confirm that the season finale will stay in the same race weekend, given the Daytona 500 scheduling change.
What’s Happening? NASCAR’s Mike Forde says that Homestead-Miami Speedway will likely host 2027 NASCAR Championship weekend, despite NASCAR looking towards a…
During an episode of NASCAR’s Hauler Talk podcast, NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Communications, Mike Forde, said NASCAR’s 2027 finale weekend will likely be back at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Though this doesn’t mean NASCAR is abandoning the rotating. Having that in different markets is super important.”
What’s Happening? NASCAR is reportedly looking at several new venues to add to the 2027 schedule. As exciting as this is,…
During an interview with Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, NASCAR Executive Vice President Ben Kennedy claimed that NASCAR was looking at “a couple of potential new venues” for its future schedules. Though he did not list tracks, many fans suggested long-rumored races like a Denver Street Race, a Philadelphia Stadium Race, and a race in Canada could be the culprits.
What’s Happening? In 2027 NASCAR will move the race weekend for the Daytona 500 from its traditional slot on Presidents Day…
The 2027 Daytona 500 will be held on February 21, 2027, to avoid conflict with Super Bowl LXI, which will be held on February 14, 2027. Although this was the first confirmation of an official race date for 2027, dates for the Duel races, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, and the Craftsman Truck Series race were not announced. It is easy to assume they will maintain the Thursday (18th), Friday (19th), and Saturday (20th) slots of Speedweek.
What’s Happening? NASCAR will not return to Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in 2026, and will likely return to Chicagoland Speedway…
According to a Jul. 30 report from Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, NASCAR will not return to Mexico City in 2026. However, as there are fewer scheduling conflicts in 2027, the sport could opt to return. In exchange for Mexico City, NASCAR is likely to add Chicagoland to the 2026 schedule.
What’s Happening? NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race officially confirmed that the track will not be on the 2026 NASCAR National Series schedule,…
According to NASCAR, the Chicago Street Circuit will not return in 2026, with the sport looking to find a new date for the race to return as soon as 2027.
What’s Happening? After months of speculation, Homestead-Miami Speedway has finally been named the host of NASCAR’s 2026 Championship Weekend. This marks…
According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Homestead-Miami Speedway will host NASCAR’s 2026 Championship weekend. This will be part of the new rotating Championship model often hinted at by NASCAR, which will likely see a new track host the season finale in 2027.
Keep this page bookmarked for the latest 2026 schedule rumors and confirmations.
Few women get a real shot in NASCAR, and those who do often find the road full of bumps. Taylor Reimer’s run at Daytona in the ARCA Menards Series became the latest case in point.
After coming home P30 in the General Tire 200, the Pinnacle Racing Group driver drew heat across social media. However, she later answered back on her X account, writing,
“I am by no means perfect. Nobody is… As a woman in motorsports, I feel it’s my responsibility to be a role model for young and upcoming women in this sport… I work hard every day to earn respect in this sport. The only way that happens is through on track performance and that’s my main focus. I look forward to the day when a female driver in racing isn’t different, it’s expected.”
Reimer also spoke about how hard it is to land a backing in this sport and said she wants to do it the right way. Laying out her long view, the female driver shared that in 10 years, she hopes to look back with pride in how she carried herself and to know she lit a spark for girls coming up, even if she does not climb as far as she dreams.
Much of the backlash traced back to her Daytona result, but some critics also framed her more as an influencer than a racer, even stacking her up against other women in the sport and asking whether she might break Danica Patrick’s wreck record.
Trouble had already knocked on the door before the green flag. During pre-race testing in February 2026, her team hit a rock when the car snapped a spool shaft on the first pass. And then, the 26-year-old could only manage to qualify for the race for P24 start in the No. 77 BuzzBallz Chevrolet.
During the race, Reimer worked her way into the top 10 and kept herself in contention. But the rug came out from under her, and an alternator failure with four laps left kicked her out of the hunt just before overtime, wiping away what could have been her first top 10 superspeedway result.
Her finish fueled a spiral of online backlash and career turbulence tied to both performance and image at Daytona International Speedway.
Some chatter also circled her 2026 tie-up with BuzzBallz, a ready-to-drink cocktail brand, which split opinion online. Reactions ran the gamut from cheers for the marketing swing to digs at both the product and her role tied to it.
Even so, given all six previous starts she made in ARCA Menards, Reimer had managed to finish in the top 10, and two of them in the top 5, not all the noise cut against her. Fans and voices from within the garage pushed back, pointing to her run of top-10 finishes in past ARCA starts and her shift from dirt to asphalt as signs she still has a path to carve out.
What do you think? Let us know your opinions on Discord or X, and don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Kaulig Racing and Ram Trucks have unveiled a brand new paint scheme for Justin Haley ahead of the Craftsman Truck Series race at Echopark Speedway.
You can check out all of Ram’s 2026 paint Schemes on our article linked below
