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Track guide · oval
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway at a glanceChecked 2026-09-09
- Length
- 1.5 mi2.414 km
- Turns
- 4
- Opened
- 1995
- Capacity
- 43,000
- Location
- Homestead, Florida
- Type
- oval
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Banking
- 18-20° in the turns, 4° on the straights
- Surface
- asphalt
- Owner
- City of Homestead (operated by NASCAR)
- Phone
- +1-305-230-5000
- Website
- homesteadmiamispeedway.com
Track map and layout
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a 1.5-mile oval that has changed shape more than most tracks on the NASCAR schedule. It opened in 1995 as a flat, rectangular layout inherited from its road-course-influenced design, was converted to a conventional oval in 1997 to better suit NASCAR racing, and was reconfigured again in 2003 to variable progressive banking of 18 to 20 degrees, which opened up multi-lane racing and made it a favorite among drivers for close, technical competition. Lights added in 2005 enabled the track's move to a night-race format for its marquee NASCAR weekend. A separate road course of roughly 2.3 miles with 11 turns uses part of the oval and infield for non-NASCAR events, including the Miami Grand Prix's Formula E round in recent years staged on public roads nearby rather than the speedway itself.
Named corners and sections
Turn 1.
Entry off the frontstretch onto the progressively banked 18-20 degree corner that defines the oval's modern character.
Turn 4.
Final corner before the frontstretch, frequently the site of late-race, multi-lane passes for the win.
Configurations
Oval (2003-present)
1.5 miUsed for all NASCAR national-series racing
Road course
2.3 mi11-turn layout using part of the oval and infield, used for club and non-NASCAR events
Events and race weekends
Homestead-Miami hosted NASCAR's season-ending championship race for the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series every year from 2002 through 2019, before the finale moved to Phoenix Raceway in 2020. Starting in 2026, under NASCAR's new rotating-finale format, the championship race returns to Homestead-Miami, once again making it the season's title-deciding weekend. Its Cup race runs as the Straight Talk Wireless 400.
Straight Talk Wireless 400 (Cup Series Championship Race)
NASCAR CupHosted every season 2002-2019; returns in 2026 under NASCAR's new rotating-finale format
Annual eventWhenNOVNovemberNASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship Race
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity)Returns alongside the Cup finale in 2026
Annual eventWhenNOVNovemberNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race
NASCAR TruckReturns alongside the Cup finale in 2026
Annual eventWhenNOVNovember
Getting there and parking
Miami International Airport is the main gateway for visitors, roughly 30-35 miles and 40-50 minutes north of the speedway depending on traffic; Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is a similar-distance alternative. The track sits in Homestead, at the southern edge of the Miami metro area near the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park.
- MIAMiami International Airport (MIA)about 45 mindrive
- FLLFort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)about 60 mindrive
Parking
General on-site parking is available for race weekends; traffic on the surrounding local roads and US-1 can back up significantly for the championship weekend, so early arrival is advised.
TipBecause Homestead sits well south of central Miami, visitors combining the race with a Miami trip should budget significant extra travel time each way.
Hotels and camping near Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead itself has a modest hotel supply, so many visitors also consider Florida City just south, or drive up into the greater Miami/Kendall area for a wider range of hotels, roughly 30-45 minutes north. Rates rise sharply for the November championship weekend given the market's overall demand.
Where to look
Homestead and Florida City for proximity to the track; greater Miami, Kendall and Coral Gables for a wider hotel selection roughly 30-45 minutes away.
Camping
On-site camping is available for race weekends, including RV and tent options, with published dates set around each event.
RV
Reserved RV parking is available in lots such as Palm Drive and Turn 2 Premium, with 20x50-foot spaces limited to self-contained vehicles; a minimum ticket purchase applies to buy an RV pass.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
The public cannot bring personal cars onto the NASCAR oval, but both driving and ride-along experiences in real stock cars are offered on-site through NASCAR Racing Experience and Richard Petty Driving Experience on select dates, including solo timed driving sessions on the 1.5-mile oval. There is no regular open-track HPDE program for personal cars.
Who runs days here
Typical cost: Ride-along experiences from roughly $158; driving experiences from roughly $300
New to track days? Our beginner guides, costs and gear →
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup qualifying | 0:31.982 | Alex Bowman | NASCAR Cup car | 2025 |
Drive Homestead-Miami Speedway in a sim
These racing games and simulators include Homestead-Miami Speedway as official content. Mods and community tracks are not listed.
iRacing
paid trackLayouts—
Forza Motorsport
base gameLayoutsRoad Circuit (oval layouts exist but are not itemised in the notes I read) (layout names as printed in release notes; list may be incomplete)
Building a sim rig? Four example setups from $279 → · Every real track in sim racing games
Checked against each publisher’s track list in October 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026).
Spectator guide
Homestead's grandstands wrap the frontstretch and both ends of the progressively banked oval, giving fans a good view of the multi-lane racing the 2003 reconfiguration was designed to produce. Championship weekends draw the track's biggest and most festival-like crowds of the year.
Seating
Frontstretch grandstands overlook the start/finish line and pit road; turn grandstands sit closer to the progressively banked corners where late passes typically happen.
Best places to watch
Frontstretch seats for the fullest view of pit strategy and the finish; turn 3-4 seating for close-up views of the banking where cars run multiple grooves.
Bag policy
Up to two bags per person: bags or backpacks up to 18 x 18 x 14 inches and one soft-sided cooler up to 14 x 14 x 14 inches, with sealed food and drinks, alcohol included (no glass). All purchases inside are cashless.
Weather
- Nov: Warm and humid South Florida conditions, highs typically 80-85°F with a chance of evening showers
- Mar: Mild and dry, highs around 78-82°F, generally the most comfortable spectator weather of the year
History of Homestead-Miami Speedway
An unusual start
Homestead-Miami Speedway opened in November 1995 after a $59 million construction project, built in part to help revitalize the area following the devastation of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Its original layout was an unusual flat, near-rectangular shape better suited to open-wheel and road-course-style racing than to NASCAR's stock cars, and drivers complained about the lack of banking almost immediately.
Converting to an oval
In 1997 the track was reconfigured into a conventional oval to better attract NASCAR's growing national-series audience, and further changes in 2003 introduced variable progressive banking of 18 to 20 degrees along with SAFER barriers, transforming the racing surface into one drivers consistently rank among the best on the circuit for tire wear and multi-groove competition. Lights installed in 2005 allowed the track to move its marquee weekend to prime-time television.
The championship era
From 2002 through 2019, Homestead-Miami hosted NASCAR's season-ending championship race across the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series every year, making it, for nearly two decades, the sport's title-deciding stage and a fixture of the November sports calendar in South Florida. That run ended when NASCAR moved the finale to Phoenix Raceway starting in 2020 as part of a broader restructuring of its playoff system.
Return of the finale
NASCAR's operating company, which has run the speedway since 2019, announced a new rotating-finale format for its championship weekend, and Homestead-Miami is set to reclaim the season-ending race in 2026, six years after losing it. The track continues to host a second, non-championship Cup Series weekend most seasons, and remains one of the sport's most respected 1.5-mile ovals for the quality of racing its 2003 banking reconfiguration produced.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Homestead-Miami Speedway?
The oval is 1.5 miles per lap, with progressive banking of 18 to 20 degrees in the turns.
Does Homestead-Miami Speedway host the NASCAR championship race?
It hosted the finale every year from 2002 to 2019; after a stretch at Phoenix Raceway, the championship race returns to Homestead-Miami in 2026 under NASCAR's new rotating-finale format.
What is the nearest airport to Homestead-Miami Speedway?
Miami International Airport (MIA), roughly 30-35 miles and 40-50 minutes north of the track.
Can I drive on the Homestead-Miami oval myself?
There is no public HPDE program on the oval, but NASCAR Racing Experience and Richard Petty Driving Experience offer instructor-guided driving and ride-along sessions on select dates.
What is the seating capacity of Homestead-Miami Speedway?
Grandstand capacity is approximately 43,000.
Was Homestead-Miami Speedway always an oval?
No, it opened in 1995 with a flat, near-rectangular layout and was converted to a conventional oval in 1997, then reconfigured with progressive banking in 2003.
Which racing games and sims have Homestead-Miami Speedway?
Homestead-Miami Speedway is officially available in iRacing and Forza Motorsport. Some of these include it in the base game and others sell it as paid content; the table above shows which.
Other tracks nearby
Facts checked against 8 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.