Homestead to upgrade venue ahead of 2026 finale, but won't 'touch the track'

On Tuesday, NASCAR announced plans to put the season finale back at Homestead-Miami Speedway for 2026 as they implement a rotating finale moving forward. Having already hosted their lone Cup race on the 2025 schedule, the track has plenty of time to prepare before NASCAR returns in November of 2026.

Track president Guillermo Santa Cruz confirmed that changes are coming but they are “mostly cosmetic.” He was also sure to make it clear that the track surface itself will remain as-in. “We’re not going to touch the track itself. The track is in excellent condition. It yields some of the best racing anywhere. For the most part that will be left alone.”

What changes are coming?

As for what exactly needs to be done, he explained further: “There’s some things with the facility we need to do, have to do. It could stand a fresh coat of paint. We’re very close to the ocean, so the salt tends to give the place a bit of a beating sometimes. Other things that we want to do to improve the fan experience when it comes to hospitality, when it comes to our Champions Club in particular.

“When we look at the footprint of the track, look at the place, we want to make sure that we are looking at everything and make sure that we do things that will be enjoyed by all our guests, regardless which tier you’re coming in, the high-end hospitality, or a grandstand, we want to make sure people have the best possible experience.

“We’re going to be looking at some very basic things, whether it’s access, egress, things like that, but also how to make the place a little bit more comfortable and find additional ways to provide shade, which is always a nice plus here in South Florida.”

Ryan Preece, RFK Racing Ford; Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet; Justin Haley, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Michael Bush – Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Santa Cruz took over the position of track president in the summer of 2024. He said one of the factors in why he took the job is just how beloved the Florida circuit is by those in the garage. “One of the reasons that I took the job, one of the factors that came into consideration, was when I found out how much the drivers love the track. I have been around NASCAR for a long time. It took the hiring process for me to really pay attention to certain things. One of them was when I was told how much the drivers love the track. It started with that.”