NASCAR and the city of Homestead are monitoring a grass fire that could play a role in whether three national series races take place as planned.
According to a statement from the city of Homestead, "the NASCAR Cup Series events at Homestead-Miami Speedway are set to continue as scheduled." However, the statement also noted that the fire is 20% contained and that US 1 is closing intermittently due to visibility issues.
There remains a possibility that residents of the area could lose power due to infrastructure damage. Minor tower damage could also cause issues with cell and internet service.
Major fires going on ~3 miles south of the Homestead race track! So much smoke is being released and it just isn’t stopping!#wx #flwx @JimCantore @ReedTimmerUSA @NWSMiami @BrandonOrrWPLG @RyanNBC6 @MattDevittWX @tropicalupdate @WeatherWithLaur @LissetteCBS4 @VivianGonzalez7 pic.twitter.com/dsvYT7Ad3c
— Hurricane Chaser Chase (@hurricane_chase) March 19, 2025
According to a South Florida storm chaser, authorities are using the body of water located directly outside of Homestead-Miami Speedway in an effort to extinguish the fires.
NBC Miami reports that the grass fire had grown to about 22,000 acres since it began on Tuesday. This has led to Card Sound Road, the other road connecting the Florida Keys to Florida City, remaining closed as firefighting efforts have continued.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning on Thursday at 11 a.m. This warning means that fire danger is high and that it could quickly spread out of control due to gusty winds and relatively low humidity.
The current NASCAR schedule features cars on track starting Friday afternoon. Craftsman Truck Series teams are scheduled to practice at 3:35 p.m. ET (FS2) before qualifying at 4:40 p.m. ET (FS2). The Truck Series race starts at 8 p.m. ET (Fox).
Saturday is set to be the busiest for the South Florida track. Xfinity Series teams are set to begin practice at 10:30 a.m. ET (CW app) before qualifying at 11:35 a.m. ET (CW app). The Cup Series teams will be next with practice at 1:05 p.m. ET (Prime Video) and qualifying at 2:10 p.m. ET (Prime Video). The Xfinity Series race is set for 4 p.m. ET (CW).
The Sunday schedule -- dependent on the grass fire -- features the Cup Series teams getting on the track at 3 p.m. ET (FS1) for the sixth race of the season.