Steve O’Donnell has now dropped immediate hints for all fans nationwide as to how NASCAR plans to change its championship finale route. They plan to shift toward a rotating championship model instead of permanently holding the event at a single venue.

During an FS1 interview, O’Donnell added that in the “short term,” Homestead-Miami Speedway will “probably” host the finale for the next two years at a time when NASCAR will search for other venues and better future hosts.

Why this is needed was also explained by him as he added that doing so would allow NASCAR “to really go out there and work with several different markets,” before he added the line that was an indication of what is to come: “the plan is to have the championship race rotate.”

So far, the community had started to get used to the Phoenix venue, which hosted the race from 2020 to 2025. But the reason why that changed to Homestead-Miami was given last year by Ben Kennedy, something that applies to the current shift as well.

"Having the playoffs be more unpredictable every year, the championship venue to be at a different location, I think gives you the ability to see different teams and drivers kind of rise to the occasion to be able to be crowned a champion,” said Kennedy.

This year, the sport moved to Homestead-Miami again as the Next Gen car’s short-track package responds better to progressive banking and multi-groove racing surfaces.

O’Donnell, in his interview, also hinted at plans beyond Homestead. He dropped his appraisal for the San Diego event, adding, “We need to be in California,” while calling the state a “key marketplace” for the sport.

He also veered further into the discussion, stating that NASCAR was already having “a lot of other discussions” regarding venues and “who they could partner with,” showcasing that the rotating model that he signalled is something that the organisation has chosen to stand by.

This brings us to the discussion: what could the potential venues be for a NASCAR finale that doesn’t make the racing boring to watch?

Five tracks that perfectly suit the Next Gen championship finale era

The five tracks that stand out the most for the championship finale are:

• Homestead-Miami Speedway – Well, for a reason, this is NASCAR’s obvious choice, as the Next Gen car races well here due to progressive banking and grooves reducing the impact of dirty air.
• Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Wide corners, heavy tire falloff, and long green-flag runs combined with the city having destination appeal and major entertainment infrastructure make this an excellent venue.
• Charlotte Motor Speedway – The speedway rewards throttle control and long-run execution combined with its location near the manufacturing heartland for most teams, making this attractive to NASCAR decision makers.
• Darlington Raceway – The abrasive surface here and narrow groove create difficult racing conditions, making the race overall very exciting for fans, a push that NASCAR could admire in its selection.
• Kansas Speedway – Kansas has been the king for Next Gen cars because of extreme side-by-side action, momentum lanes, and clean aero racing, drawing praise from several drivers, thus putting itself as one of the frontrunners for selection.

The venue that will be chosen by NASCAR for the latter years remains to be seen, but the promise of a rotating championship is too good for fans, and everyone would agree to this.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Uday Jakhar

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason