The 2026 season will feature a major change as the NASCAR championship weekend is expected back at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic first reported the news on Monday while citing multiple sources briefed on the plans. According to the insider, an announcement is tentatively planned for the coming weeks.
One key detail, however, is that this return to Homestead will not be permanent. According to Bianchi's sources, the 2026 season will kick off NASCAR's new approach. The sanctioning body will begin rotating the location of its championship weekend, something that drivers have requested.
Homestead-Miami Speedway will be one of the destinations as drivers battle for the sport's biggest prize, as will Phoenix Raceway. The expectation is that other tracks will join the fold in future seasons.
Steve O'Donnell, now NASCAR President, mentioned this possibility during a February appearance on the "Hauler Talk" podcast.
He said that Phoenix Raceway has provided a good mix of champions, but he also noted that fans would like to see other tracks hosting the most important races on the schedule.
"It's not lost on me, and I think it's more complicated than just waving a quick checkered flag and saying, 'Let's move the championship,'" O'Donnell said. "But I do think a rotation is going to be very important for us. It has not happened yet."
Several tracks have hosted NASCAR's championship race. For example, Atlanta Motor Speedway took over for Riverside International Raceway in 1987. It hosted the championship weekend until 2000.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway hosted the finales in 2001 before Homestead-Miami Speedway took over in 2002. The South Florida track remained the host of the championship weekend through the 2019 season. Kyle Busch was the last driver to win the title at the 1.5-mile track.
Phoenix Raceway took over as the host of the championship weekend in 2020, as Chase Elliott won the title. It has continued as the host ever since. This includes the 2025 season, which will end back at the Arizona track.