Motorsports

NASCAR championship weekend goes to Homestead in 2026, starting a rotating formula

How that’ll work in 2027 and beyond remains unclear. But in 2026, Homestead is the spot. “I like that we move it around,” said reigning NASCAR champion Joey Logano, who won the crown last fall at Phoenix — this year’s title-deciding spot as well — and the first of his three titles at Homestead-Miami in […]

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2 weeks ago

May 7, 2025

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How that’ll work in 2027 and beyond remains unclear. But in 2026, Homestead is the spot.

“I like that we move it around,” said reigning NASCAR champion Joey Logano, who won the crown last fall at Phoenix — this year’s title-deciding spot as well — and the first of his three titles at Homestead-Miami in 2018. “That was one of the things that I always thought would be a great idea if we were able to pull it off, right? The Super Bowl doesn’t stay in the same place every year. Why should our Super Bowl, our championship race, stay in same place every year?”

NASCAR made the announcement Tuesday, and it was not exactly a stunner. (“I’m sure everyone was surprised to see this coming,” Logano said, smiling.) Its three series — the truck series, the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series — will see their seasons come to a close at Homestead from Nov. 6-8, 2026.

It isn’t a permanent return, though: NASCAR said that championship weekends are going to be on a rotation “to ensure that the season’s exciting conclusion is shared amongst NASCAR’s marquee venues and key markets.” Phoenix will be part of that rotation, somehow, but NASCAR isn’t ready to say which other tracks may be involved and when all that will be announced.

“We have a lot of confidence, when we go to Homestead-Miami Speedway, it’s going to deliver from a racing product perspective,” NASCAR executive vice president Ben Kennedy said. “It’s also going to create a good amount of unpredictability for many of our fans that come to that race or tune in on TV just going to a different championship venue and having it on the line. We’re excited to see all that.”

Part of NASCAR’s commitment to Homestead-Miami, Kennedy said, includes a capital investment to “make sure it is a championship-caliber facility when we show up next year.”

NASCAR routinely makes tweaks to schedules and now will tinker again with where seasons end, but one non-negotiable appears to be the start of the season: Daytona will remain the first points race for the foreseeable future, Kennedy said.

“We ran a survey a couple years ago, and it was over 95% of our fan base wants to see their first points race be the Daytona 500,” Kennedy said. “That was a statistic that was strong enough for us to say we’re not even going to explore that for now.”

Homestead-Miami was the championship weekend site from 2002 through 2019. There are three active drivers who were crowned NASCAR champions at Homestead — Kyle Busch in 2015 and 2019, Brad Keselowski in 2012 and Logano in 2018. Logano has also won the title at Phoenix in two of the last three seasons, including last year.

And all seven of Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR titles came at Homestead, which has renamed a tunnel in his honor to commemorate those championships.

“If you’re asking drivers, it’s about the track, right? The environment obviously is really cool. It’s different being in Miami. That’s a neat thing,” Logano said. “But the drivers, what we care about is the racing, right? Can we move around the racetrack, can we do different things, are the tires falling off, is that fun. To us, yeah, that’s fun.”

NASCAR decided after the 2001 season to move its truck and Cup series races to one track, in order to create a season-ending championship celebration. Homestead-Miami was the original site after that decision, and then things moved to Phoenix starting in 2020.

Kennedy said racing in early November isn’t exactly possible at all of the tracks on the NASCAR schedule, meaning that the series would prefer a warm-weather climate for its finish — something that Phoenix and Homestead-Miami provide. And Homestead-Miami’s history isn’t lost on NASCAR, either.

“Homestead has put on some of the most phenomenal finishes, especially when we had the championship there,” Kennedy said. “But even since then, and we’ve crowned so many legends and Hall of Famers over the past 15 years when we did have the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. So, competition is a part of it, variability, and I think diversity in where you’re crowning the champion was another consideration.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Credit: AP

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Motorsports

NASCAR Hall of Fame to welcome Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, Ray Hendrick, Humpy Wheeler

Daytona Motor Mouths: Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600 arrive for Kyle Larson The guys review the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro and preview Kyle Larson’s double attempt of the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600. Busch won the first NASCAR playoff championship in 2004. He raced for five different teams and won in four different car […]

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8 seconds ago

May 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Busch won the first NASCAR playoff championship in 2004.
He raced for five different teams and won in four different car makes.

Kurt Busch’s career of considerable ups coupled with troubling downs has reached one more pinnacle. The oldest of the two Busch brothers has been selected as a new member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Busch’s election and announcement came Tuesday at the Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte.

When the formal inductions arrive in January of next year, Busch will be joined in the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 by Harry Gant, the other inductee from the “modern era” ballot, and “pioneer ballot” inductee Ray Hendrick.

Also honored, with the Hall’s Landmark Award for “outstanding contributions,” will be Humpy Wheeler, longtime president of Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Meet the new NASCAR Hall of Famers

Gant — known in the racing community as “Handsome Harry” — was a 39-year-old Cup Series rookie in 1979. He won 18 races over a career than lasted to age 54. The highlight was the ’91 season when, at age 51, he won four straight races (including his second Southern 500 at Darlington) in early fall and was given the label of “Mr. September.”

Hendrick did his winning just outside the biggest NASCAR spotlights. He won an estimated 700 races in late models and, mostly, in modifieds, earning the Mr. Modified moniker.

Howard Augustine Wheeler was a combination of old-school promotions, even at the biggest of big-league races, and new-age visionary. At Charlotte, with the backing of track owner Bruton Smith (another Hall of Famer), Humpy built a condominium complex outside Turn 1, and in 1992 made Charlotte the first big speedway to install lights.

Kurt Busch’s road to the Hall of Fame

Along with winning NASCAR’s first championship playoffs, Busch also won the first-ever playoff race — the postseason opener at New Hampshire in 2004.

There was no winner-take-all final in the early playoff years, but an accumulation of playoff points. In the end, Busch was just eight points better than Jimmie Johnson and 16 better than Jeff Gordon.

The Las Vegas native won Cup Series races for five different teams: Roush Racing, Team Penske, Stewart-Haas, Chip Gannassi Racing and 23XI, with whom he won his final race in 2022.

Later in that 2022 season, Busch wrecked during qualifying at Pocono and suffered a concussion. He missed the rest of the year and officially announced his retirement the following season.

Along with his on-track brilliance, Busch was known to ruffle feathers at times, particularly early in his career. His testy temperament led to splits with a pair of legendary team owners — Jack Roush and Roger Penske.

But there was never any doubting his racing ability. At age 20, he won four races for Roush Racing in his one year of full-time Truck Series racing. He began his full-time Cup career the next year, 2001, and after a winless rookie campaign, he won 14 races and a championship over the next four seasons.

Along with winning races for five different teams, he won Cup races in four different makes of cars: Ford, Chevy, Toyota and Dodge.

— Email Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com

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Motorsports

Cadillac unveils Mobil 1 brand as Le Mans sponsor

By Speedway Digest Staff via Speedway Digest – Home for NASCAR News, 5h ago Cadillac unveils Mobil 1 as Le Mans sponsor No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R livery to feature iconic brand DETROIT (May 20, 2025) – Cadillac welcomes Mobil 1™ brand as its primary sponsor of the No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor […]

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1 minute ago

May 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By Speedway Digest Staff via Speedway Digest – Home for NASCAR News, 5h ago

Cadillac unveils Mobil 1 as Le Mans sponsor No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R livery to feature iconic brand DETROIT (May 20, 2025) – Cadillac welcomes Mobil 1™ brand as its primary sponsor of the No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The livery features the iconic Mobil 1 logo across the sides and front of the blue and white Hypercar, symbolizing a powerful collaboration in motorsport excellence. “Mobil 1 and Cadillac Racing are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of performance and innovation in motorsport,” said John Roth, Vice President, Global Cadillac.…

Read more at Speedway Digest – Home for NASCAR News

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Motorsports

AUTO RACING: Bells takes all-star win in NASCAR and rookie Shwartzman wins pole for Sunday’s Indy500

By The Associated Press All Times Eastern NASCAR CUP SERIES Coca-Cola 600 Site: Concord, North Carolina. Schedule: Saturday, practice, 1:30 p.m., qualifying, 2:40 p.m.; Sunday, race, 6 p.m. (Prime Video and MAX). Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway. Race distance: 400 laps, 600 miles. Last year: After leading a race-high 90 laps, Bell gained his second win […]

Published

24 minutes ago

May 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By The Associated Press

All Times Eastern

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Coca-Cola 600

Site: Concord, North Carolina.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 1:30 p.m., qualifying, 2:40 p.m.; Sunday, race, 6 p.m. (Prime Video and MAX).

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Race distance: 400 laps, 600 miles.

Last year: After leading a race-high 90 laps, Bell gained his second win of the season in a race that was shortened due to rain.

Last race: Christopher Bell earned his first all-star win, taking the lead for good with 9 laps to go and upsetting Joey Logano who led a race-high 139 laps.

Next race: June 1, Nashville, Tennessee.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Tennessee Lottery 250

Site: Concord, North Carolina.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 11:05 a.m., Qualifying, 12:10 p.m., race, 4:30 p.m. (CW)

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Race distance: 200 laps, 300 miles.

Last year: John Hunter Nemecheck took the lead with 46 laps to go to earn his 11th career series win and second of the season.

Last race: Kyle Larson took his second series win this season after a late pass of Sam Mayer in a double-overtime finish at Texas.

Next race: May 31, Nashville, Tennessee.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

North Carolina Education Lottery 200

Site: Concord, North Carolina.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 3:35 p.m., qualifying, 4:40 p.m., race, 8:30 p.m. (FS1).

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Race distance: 134 laps, 201 miles.

Last year: Nick Sanchez took his first lead with 8 laps to go, securing him the victory while holding off Corey Heim who had led a race-high 72 laps.

Last race: Chandler Smith capitalized on last lap contact between teammate Layne Riggs and Corey Heim, sneaking across the finish line for his seventh series win.

Next race: May 30, Nashville, Tennessee.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Tag Heur Grand Prix de Monaco

Site: Albert, Monaco.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 7:25 a.m., practice, 10:55 a.m.; Saturday, practice, 6:25 a.m., qualifying, 9:55 a.m.; Sunday, race, 9 a.m. (ABC).

Track: Circuit de Monaco.

Race distance: 78 laps, 161.7 miles.

Last year: Charles Leclerc took his first ever win at his home race, holding the lead after a restart and finishing ahead of Piastri.

Last race: Max Verstappen secured his second victory of the season in Imola, ending Oscar Pisatri’s three-race streak and earning him his 65th career win.

Next race: June 1, Barcelona, Spain.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

INDYCAR

Indianapolis 500

Site: Indianapolis.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 11 a.m., pit stop competition, 2:30 p.m.; Sunday, pre-race, 10 a.m., race, Noon (FOX).

Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Race distance: 200 laps, 500 miles.

Last year: Josef Newgarden took his second consecutive Indy 500 win after a dramatic last-lap pass of Pato O’Ward in a race that was delayed due to rain. Newgarden and a No. 2 finishing O’Ward had swapped the lead four times in the last eight laps, followed by Scott Dixon who finished third.

Last race: Alex Palou who’s taken 4 out of 5 races this season, earned a comeback win in Indianapolis after trailing for 58 laps.

Next race: June 1, Detroit.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

NHRA DRAG RACING

Next race: June 1, Epping, New Hampshire.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS

Attica Sprint Car Showdown

Site: Attica, Ohio.

Track: Attica Raceway Park.

Sharon Sprint Car Showdown

Site: Hartford, Ohio.

Track: Sharon Speedway.

Chillicothe Classic

Site: Chillicothe, Ohio.

Track: Atomic Speedway.

Next events: May 30-31, Grand Forks, North Dakota, West Fargo, North Dakota.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing

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Motorsports

Cadillac unveils Mobil 1 as Le Mans sponsor

By Official Release via SpeedwayMedia.com, 8h ago IMSA Share Facebook Twitter ReddIt Email Print Cadillac unveils Mobil 1 as Le Mans sponsor By Official Release May 20, 2025 3 Minute Read Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube NASCAR PhotosNASCAR Photos No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R livery to feature iconic brand DETROIT (May 20, 2025) – […]

Published

25 minutes ago

May 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By Official Release via SpeedwayMedia.com, 8h ago

IMSA Share Facebook Twitter ReddIt Email Print Cadillac unveils Mobil 1 as Le Mans sponsor By Official Release May 20, 2025 3 Minute Read Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube NASCAR PhotosNASCAR Photos No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R livery to feature iconic brand DETROIT (May 20, 2025) – Cadillac welcomes Mobil 1™ brand as its primary sponsor of the No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The livery features the iconic Mobil 1 logo across the sides and front of the blue and white Hypercar, symbolizing a powerful collaboration in motorsport excellence. “Mobil…

Motorsports

Kurt Busch, Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant voted into NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Drivers Kurt Busch, Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant were voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame… CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Drivers Kurt Busch, Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant were voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Tuesday, while executive Humpy Wheeler was named the Landmark Award winner for his contribution […]

Published

48 minutes ago

May 20, 2025

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Drivers Kurt Busch, Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant were voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame…

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Drivers Kurt Busch, Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant were voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Tuesday, while executive Humpy Wheeler was named the Landmark Award winner for his contribution to the sport.

A ceremony will be held to officially induct the Class of 2026 into the Hall of Fame.

The 46-year-old Busch, a first-ballot selection, held off Jimmie Johnson to win the 2004 Cup Series championship and went on to win 34 Cup races, including at least one in 19 of 21 of his full-time seasons on the premier circuit before retiring in 2023.

His journey to NASCAR stardom began in 2000 with a Truck Series rookie season that foreshadowed greatness. His big breakthrough came in 2004, when he became the first driver to win the title under NASCAR’s “playoff” system – a feat that proved both his excellence and adaptability.

The consistent Busch finished in the top 10 in the Cup Series standings 10 times.

Hendrick, who died in 1990 at age 61, was the original “Mr. Modified.”

He is one of the winningest drivers of all time, with than 700 modified and late model sportsman wins between 1950-88. His success started in his home state of Virginia, where his No. 11 was well know. He won five track championships at South Boston Speedway — four modified and one late model sportsman.

He was known as a driver that was willing to race “anywhere and everywhere,” and did just that. He filled his schedule with modified and late model sportsman races across the East coast. Hendrick was known best for his wins on short tracks, but also produced victories at Talladega, Charlotte and Dover.

Despite never winning a Modified Division championship, Hendrick finished in the top 10 in the standings nine times from 1960-69.

The 85-year-old Gant, known as the “Bandit” for his long-time sponsorship with Skoal Bandits, won 18 Cup Series races, including the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. In the five seasons from 1981 through 1985, he finished in the top five in points four times, including a runner-up championship finish to Terry Labonte in 1984.

He also won 21 Xfinity Series races.

Gant raced into his 50s, and still holds premier series records for oldest driver to win a race (52 years old) and a pole (54). He drove the first race car with a telemetry system installed in it at Talladega in 1985 and relayed the data to CBS during its coverage of the event.

This was the Gant’s seventh time on the ballot.

All three were among NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers and one of NASCAR Modified’s All-Time Top 10 Drivers.

Wheeler became synonymous with promotion and innovation.

He spent 33 years as the president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway and played a pivotal role in transforming the venue into a world-class facility.

Wheeler added a new dynamic to the sport, a visionary whose leadership and creativity helped shape today’s fan experience with the introduction of dramatic prerace ceremonies and the development of night racing at superspeedways.

He was known for his innovative promotions and stunts.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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Motorsports

Reddick sponsor announced as Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing scores huge win – Motorsport – Sports

23XI Racing and Tyler Reddick secured a major win after revealing that they’ve landed a new primary sponsor. It’s been a rollercoaster year for Michael Jordan’s Cup Series team, which remains embroiled in an ugly legal dispute with NASCAR. 23XI additionally made team history earlier this month by fielding four drivers at Kansas Speedway, including […]

Published

49 minutes ago

May 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

23XI Racing and Tyler Reddick secured a major win after revealing that they’ve landed a new primary sponsor.

It’s been a rollercoaster year for Michael Jordan’s Cup Series team, which remains embroiled in an ugly legal dispute with NASCAR. 23XI additionally made team history earlier this month by fielding four drivers at Kansas Speedway, including development driver Corey Heim – a decision that was welcomed by Bubba Wallace.

Amidst speculation that 23XI could soon lose several of its drivers, the organization received a huge boost once it was announced that they’d expanded their longstanding partnership with Pinnacle Financial Partners.

As part of the new multi-year deal, Pinnacle will serve as the primary sponsor for Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE in two races this season — the NASCAR Cup Series Race at Nashville on June 1 and the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol on September 13.

“Our team has enjoyed the partnership with Pinnacle since Tyler joined the team, and we’re excited to grow our relationship with Pinnacle to more prominently feature their brand on the No. 45 car,” 23XI president Steve Lauletta said in an official statement.

“Much like 23XI, Pinnacle is driven to be impactful for their clients, their employees, and their community, and we look forward to developing more programs and activations with them.”

Back in 2018, Pinnacle first began working with Reddick while he was still competing in the Xfinity Series. The Nashville-based company has acted as an associate sponsorship partner for 23XI’s No. 45 team since 2023, with the upcoming Nashville race marking the first time it’s served as a Cup Series primary sponsor.

“The group at Pinnacle has played such an important role in my career, and I’m honored to have the chance to represent them in a greater way through this partnership expansion,” Reddick said. “From supporting me earlier in my career to continuing to believe in me and what we’re doing at 23XI, I’m excited to represent all the associates at Pinnacle and look forward to having a great opening race with them in Nashville.”

DON’T MISS:

At Nashville Superspeedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, the No. 45 team will proudly display Pinnacle’s logo on their equipment and Reddick’s driver uniform. “Pinnacle and 23XI are such a great match for each other because we both share a vision of being the best,” Pinnacle’s director of music, sports and entertainment Andy Moats said.

“The love for NASCAR and racing runs deep at our firm, and we’ve been with Tyler for a long time. Working alongside him as he’s grown into the racer he is today has been a privilege, and this partnership will bring us even closer to him, his team and the incredible community that surrounds this sport.”

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