NASCAR Insider Jordan Bianchi provided insights into the process of choosing a venue for the championship decider and the fate of Homestead-Miami Speedway. Bianchi compared it to cities bidding for the Super Bowl, with tracks essentially paying the sanctioning body millions to host the season finale.
Homestead-Miami Speedway hosted the season finale from 2002 to 2019 before losing the spot to Phoenix Raceway. Now, the city is preparing a bid to reclaim the championship race for 2026. Many fans and drivers are eager to see the 1.5-mile track return to its original role as the venue for the championship decider.
On the latest episode of The Teardown, Bianchi stated that selecting the venue for the championship decider is ultimately a "business decision" that must make financial sense. He explained that the city of Phoenix pays NASCAR to host the season finale, and Homestead-Miami is putting together a financial package to compete with that offer.
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"NASCAR wants to be here, they would like to have their championship here. But this at the end of the day is also a business decision. The city by itself can't write the check. Look at the Super Bowl right? Cities bid on the Super Bowl. The Arizona, Phoenix community is paying NASCAR, essentially to have the championship at Phoenix Raceway."
"The community, City of Homestead and Miami Dade County would like to put together a financial package to entice NASCAR to have the championship at Homestead. They're working towards that."
Jordan Bianchi also claimed that the city of Phoenix pays approximately $5-10 million to host the season finale, though he couldn't verify the exact value or source. He mentioned that Homestead city officials and the track president are eager to bring the season finale back to the city.
Meanwhile, the 1.5-mile oval in Homestead has an aging infrastructure that needs to be renovated. One of the main reasons NASCAR moved to Phoenix was its $178 million investment to upgrade the facility in 2018. Homestead-Miami Speedway has yet to undergo a similar overhaul to host the season finale.
Homestead Vice Mayor optimistic about hosting NASCAR season finale
Sean Fletcher, Vice Mayor of Homestead, is optimistic about bringing the season finale back to Homestead-Miami Speedway. According to estimates, the return of the championship decider could generate a $350 million economic boost for the city.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Fletcher said he has high hopes that the season finale could return to the 1.5-mile oval as soon as next year. The Homestead Vice Mayor put a 70 percent chance of their bid being successful to host the season finale.
"We are in very high hopes that Homestead will be the championship host for 2026. It’s really a big deal for the city of Homestead. I think it’s the perfect race for the drivers; they love the track. It’s really a driver’s racetrack. And that’s a great time of year (in November) to be in South Florida," Fletcher said.
Meanwhile, Track President, Guillermo Santa Cruz remains optimistic about hosting the championship decider in the near future. Rather than focusing on drawing spectators from across the country, Santa Cruz is taking a community-driven approach, aiming to promote NASCAR to the local public.
The 1.5-mile track will not host a playoff race this season, with Kyle Larson winning the regular season race, marking his first Cup victory of the season.
