The NASCAR season will conclude this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway as it crowns champions in all three of its national series.
Here’s your complete guide to the weekend, including what’s happened so far and what’s next.
The championship is at Homestead-Miami Speedway?
yes. Return to the place where NASCAR crowned champions with the 2002-2019 season finale. It is a 1.5 mile oval that has progressive banking; it is 18 degrees at the start of the platform and increases to 20 degrees from the wall. This allows a driver up against the wall to have more momentum and potentially make a pass despite having traveled a longer distance.
Is the format the same as last decade?
No. The format of having a 4 champ with four drivers and whoever finishes best is the champ was dropped before this year. NASCAR returned to a revised Chase formatwith the points reset (with a 100-point margin from first to 16th) after a regular season and then a 10-race mini-season (nine races at O’Reilly, seven in trucks) to crown a champion.
So we’ll have to do the math?
Yes, you will need to do math this weekend. We are sorry. NASCAR awards points based on four factors: first stage finish (on a 10-to-1 scale for the top 10), second stage finish (on a 10-to-1 scale for the top 10), race finish (55 for the winner and then on a 35-to-1 scale for second to 37 with one point, also taking 36th, with a 1-4 point). fastest lap in the race.
Tiebreaker is the best finish in The Chase.
Kyle Larson is on a quest to win his third NASCAR title this weekend at Homestead. (Getty Images)
What are the numbers?
— In Cup, Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) has a 67-point lead over Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing) and a 70-point lead over Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing). Larson owns all tiebreakers and needs just nine points in the race. So he can get by, no matter what the others do, with eight stage points or all 28 with no stage points. Bell needs to win and earn 14 stage points (13 if he also has the fastest lap) to have a chance. Hamlin needs to win and earn 17 stage points (12 if he also has the fastest lap) to have a chance.
— At O’Reilly, Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports) has a 22-point lead on Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing), a 23-point lead on Corey Day (Hendrick Motorsports), a 31-point lead on Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports) and a 42-point lead on Team Cresaamy. Completion scenarios will be determined after the phases.
— In trucks, Kaden Honeycutt (Tricon Garage) has a 20-point lead on Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports). Completion scenarios will be determined after the phases.
So you’re saying there’s a chance?
At O’Reilly and trucks, yes. In Cup, Bell or Hamlin would need everything to go right. How fair? NASCAR didn’t have either Bell or Hamlin join Larson for the championship media day Thursday.
So there was Larson, alone, making the rounds and a press conference.
“I’ll be honest, it’s kind of a tough media day for me,” Larson said at the press conference. “But we’ve earned the right for her to be awkward. I like awkwardness. Or I’m fine with it.”
Will Kaden Honeycutt take home the crown in the truck series? (Getty Images)
What has happened so far in the Cup?
Here is the Cup schedule (all times ET):
Friday: A 50-minute practice, 5:30 p.m. (TruTv)
Saturday: One-lap qualifying, 2:30 p.m. (TruTv)
Sunday: Race stages will be 80 laps, 85 laps and 102 laps, with the green flag at 3.13pm (NBC). Teams will have nine sets of tires.
What has happened so far in the O’Reilly series?
Here’s O’Reilly’s schedule (all times ET):
Friday: A 50-minute practice at 4 p.m. (ESPN Endless)
Saturday: One-lap qualifying, 1 p.m. (ESPN Infinite)
Saturday: Race stages will be 45 laps, 45 laps and 110 laps, with the green flag at 17:11 (CW). Teams will have six sets of tires.
What has happened to the trucks so far?
Here is the truck schedule (all times ET):
Thursday: In a 50-minute practice, Ty Majeski posted the fastest time while Honeycutt was fifth and Riggs was sixth. In the 10-lap averages, Jake Garcia was fastest, ahead of Ben Rhodes, Riggs, Honeycutt and Christian Eckes. There were no incidents.
Friday: one-lap qualifying, 2.30pm (FS2)
Friday: Race stages will be 30 laps, 30 laps and 74 laps, with the green flag at 19:51 (FS1). Teams will have five sets of tires.
How many championships have these drivers won in their series?
Kyle Larson is the only contender for the championship title. He won the Cup titles in 2021 and 2025.
At O’Reilly, Jesse Love won the title last year while Justin Allgaier won in 2024.
None of the truck finalists have won a truck title.
Does anyone retire after this race?
No. There are no announced driver retirements in any of the three series, which is somewhat rare for the end of the season.
When is the state of the sport address?
NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell will deliver his State of the Sport address at 10 a.m. ET on Friday. For the past several years, this has been the only time NASCAR’s CEO or President has answered questions in a press conference setting with the NASCAR press. O’Donnell assumed the role of CEO in April 2026.
Which dignitaries will be there?
As of Thursday morning, NASCAR had not announced its headliners for the race. University of Miami men’s basketball coach Jai Lucas will be an honorary officiant.
Performing the national anthem will be the United States Air Force Band, The Singing Sergeants.
When are the prices?
NASCAR will have its postseason awards Tuesday night in Miami at the Adreinne Arsht Center.