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4 Burning Questions: What Is NASCAR Doing With Homestead?

1. What is NASCAR doing with Homestead?

As the summer stretch of NASCAR commences, the ever-wild Silly Season once again stands at the forefront of the off-track discussion.

But closely behind that, pieces of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule are slowly moving into place. While a full schedule has yet to be released, plenty of schedule locks and rumors are floating around.

The heat on schedule talks was turned up on June 23 when The Athletic‘s Jordan Bianchi revealed some moves on The Teardown podcast concerning the playoffs for next season.

The Darlington Raceway-Atlanta Motor Speedway swap this season will be short-lived, as Atlanta’s website confirms that its second date will move to June 28 as a rare Saturday night show. In return, Darlington looks all but confirmed to return to the playoffs on its traditional Labor Day weekend, a playoff race that has become popular among fans since it was moved to the postseason in 2020.

However, the other four tracks involved are intriguing, and arguably none more than Homestead-Miami Speedway … in the wrong way. According to Bianchi, the Florida track’s lone date will move to March.

For the life of me, I do not know why NASCAR keeps moving Homestead around. A unique track with multiple lane options, the facility is attractive for a playoff race, produces great racing and has weather that is desirable for the late fall.

Assuming that its date moves to March, it would not be the first time that Homestead would host an early-season race. After losing its championship date in 2020, it was initially destined to host the sixth race of the season before being pushed back to June due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then moved to the second race of the season in 2021 before returning to the playoffs in 2022 as a Round of 8 track.

As Bianchi mentioned, the motive appears to be one where NASCAR can have a warm-weather date in March in the absence of a race in Fontana, Calif. Yet once again, it feels like Homestead is being slighted of any traction on the schedule. And if New Hampshire Motor Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway are added to the playoffs, that would put three flat tracks in the 10-race postseason. Moving Homestead to March would not be a popular move, and it would leave a lot of questions surrounding its fixture on the calendar.

Unless … there is more beyond the surface.

Many within and outside the industry have called for a return to South Beach as the host of Championship Weekend, and the track is reportedly preparing a bid to receive that honor in 2026.

Though a lot has to happen between now and then, that could give NASCAR a window to repave the surface following a March 2025 date. The intermediate track hasn’t been repaved since 2003, and surprising repave successes at Sonoma Raceway and Iowa Speedway may open the door for Homestead to work back toward a championship date.

Again, nothing is official concerning the track’s future. But if it is moved to March and doesn’t receive a title opportunity in 2026, who wouldn’t blame Homestead officials for feeling slighted? Should that happen, it opens a can of worms NASCAR can’t afford.

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2. Is there pressure beyond the playoffs for Bubba Wallace?

At some point, you’ve heard the statement: “It’s time to put up or shut up.”

Bubba Wallace is beginning to enter that territory.

As my Frontstretch colleague Brad Harrison covered this week, Wallace is staring down the possibility of missing the playoffs after slipping behind the cut line following the race at New Hampshire and finishing outside the top 10 for a fifth race in a row. He sits 17th in the standings, 13 points behind Joey Logano, and several upcoming tracks are not favorable for him.

While the pressure is on to make the playoffs and find consistency again, there may be more pressure lurking behind it. Wallace’s teammate at 23XI Racing, Tyler Reddick, currently sits fifth in points with a win and 11 top 10s to Wallace’s five. He is just shy of leading 400 laps on the season, while Wallace has only paced 35 circuits out front.

This isn’t a new development either. While Wallace was comparable to Reddick last season at times, Reddick still won twice while the No. 23 never found victory lane. Reddick also landed more top fives (10 to five) and top 10s (16 to 10).

If you go back one more year, Kurt Busch found victory lane 13 races into the season in the No. 45 and would have made the playoffs had it not been for a career-ending concussion suffered at Pocono Raceway. While Wallace would win at Kansas Speedway that year, he missed the playoffs.

The 30-year-old has had to work through a lot to get to this level. His former team, Legacy Motor Club, has struggled to find relevancy for decades. And even when he moved over to 23XI, there were the growing pains of an upstart team.

But in its fourth season, 23XI is expected to compete for wins and titles at this point. Team co-owner Michael Jordan said he wasn’t content to run in the teens or 20s when the team started, and fellow co-owner Denny Hamlin‘s expectations are nothing less.

While Wallace isn’t signed for next season yet, he was handpicked by Jordan and Hamlin, and he has strong sponsorship support. But if he misses the playoffs this year, it summons questions about his future sooner rather than later.

3. Has Michael McDowell’s aggression cost him a path to the playoffs on points?

Last season, we saw a very passionate and emotional Michael McDowell when he broke through at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course to both win and lock up a playoff spot.

It was another example of the late-blooming success the 39-year-old has experienced the past couple of years.

Even this season, McDowell has had flashes of race-winning speed on occasion, and he has earned three poles, the first poles he has ever won in the Cup Series.

That’s the good news. The bad news? He is 22nd in points and practically in must-win territory to make the playoffs, as he sits 99 points behind Logano.

To rub salt into the wound, he likely would have been in the points conversation had he not lost so many points in races where he was up front.

In what turned into a wide-open Texas Motor Speedway race, McDowell was fighting for the lead with Ross Chastain on a restart. Entering turns 3 and 4, McDowell committed to the outside despite the threat of a bump in turn 4 that was known to upset a car’s balance. Sure enough, McDowell hit that bump and crashed out of the race.

One week later, McDowell had the car to beat at Talladega Superspeedway. He had earned his second career pole and led 36 laps.

On the final lap, McDowell had his No. 34 out in front. However, Brad Keselowski made a move in the tri-oval. McDowell blocked high and then went to block low, causing him to get turned and ignite the Big One.

Then there was last weekend’s race at New Hampshire.

On the penultimate restart, McDowell restarted on the inside front row, though the outside had been getting a large jump all day. Indeed, race leader and eventual winner Christopher Bell jumped out and immediately cleared McDowell. Yet the veteran driver still threw his car into turn 1 and washed up into Ryan Blaney, taking both drivers out in a move that Blaney described as “very low percentage.”

Let’s just take Talladega and New Hampshire and say McDowell finishes second and third in those cases. That is a combined 41 points left on the table. Factor in other missed opportunities such as Atlanta, Texas and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, and McDowell is likely in the thick of the playoff hunt.

Once again, the nature of the win-and-you’re-in playoff format is on display. You can’t fault McDowell for being aggressive, especially when winning is the ultimate goal.

But when it comes to making the playoffs, a lack of more conservative approaches from the Front Row Motorsports driver have essentially turned what could have been a points battle to a must-win situation.

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4. What does Andy Petree’s sudden retirement mean for RCR?

In a rather surprising move, former Cup champion crew chief Andy Petree announced his retirement as a VP at Richard Childress Racing this week.

While Petree experienced many achievements in the role (nine Cup wins, 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series victories, one Xfinity title), RCR’s Cup struggles have been evident this season. Kyle Busch currently sits outside the playoff cutline, and his 19-year winning streak has yet to be extended. Austin Dillon is 32nd in points despite a crew chief change after seven races.

One has to wonder how much of a retirement this is as opposed to a decision by Richard Childress to make a change. Petree has been involved in the sport for 35 years, but to step away suddenly midway through the year doesn’t feel like he is being given his flowers.

Keith Rodden, who served as Dillon’s crew chief from 2023 through the first seven races of 2024, will succeed Petree as interim competition director.

Questions have also arisen on future decisions made by RCR. There has been speculation that Dillon could step away eventually and join RCR’s leadership, similar to what his father Mike Dillon did.

According to FOX Sports’s Bob Pockrass, however, Dillon is signed through at least next season and is expected to return.

Still, if RCR doesn’t see a boost in performance soon, Petree’s retirement will likely be just the beginning of personnel changes.

Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a contributor, furthering a love for racing that traces back to his earliest memories. Glover inherited his passion for racing from his grandfather, who used to help former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey in his Richmond, Va. garage. A 2023 graduate from the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is the author of "The Underdog House," contributes to commentary pieces, and does occasional at-track reporting. Additionally, Glover enjoys working in ministry, coaching basketball, playing sports, and karting.


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Marshall

I think it’s more than just Homestead needs a repave. From what I’ve heard the whole facility needs an upgrade to make it comparable to Phoenix as a championship locale. I haven’t been to the track but it’s 30 years old at this point whereas Phoenix was just renovated a few years ago.

As for New Hampshire and Gateway getting into the playoffs, I really couldn’t care less because I hate the playoffs, though I don’t really know why it’s a problem to have more flat tracks in the playoffs. It’s not like the tracks are actually all that similar and the racing has been pretty good at both places. It might even result in more beating and banging for position as drivers are less likely to do that at the banked tracks. Also if it rains at a flat track they’re able to use the rain tires, so it’s less likely a playoff race will be ruined by weather.

DoninAjax

RCR still has the same drivers.

Phoenix should be reconfigured to a 3/4 mile track so that the drivers don’t change it to a 3/4 mile track when they cut the corner.

Last edited 7 months ago by DoninAjax
Bill B

NASCAR has no clue, rhyme or reason, in any of their decisions. Homestead races are consistently better than races at any of the other 1.5 milers, in my opinion. If my only choices for the championship race are Phoenix and Homestead, give me Homestead. At least there we get a 400 mile race.

Yeah, there’s should be plenty of pressure on Bubba. In all his years in racing he’s never moved the needle beyond average, at best. He’s got a couple of wins but so does Dillon. If 23X1 considers themselves a championship contender they need much better results. He needs to win more and contend for more wins.

McDowell’s aggression is warranted. He pretty much knows he needs a win a race to make the playoffs from the drop of the flag at Daytona. Getting in on points is a pipe dream because he is on a second tier team.

What does Andy Petree’s retirement mean for RCR?,,,, not much in the short run. If it means improvement you will probably have to wait until next year.

Echo

I was talking with bubba’s psychiatrist at lunch the other day and he mentioned bubba was depressed. That may be why he isn’t doing well in a Gibbs car.