Homestead-Miami Speedway will host NASCAR’s season-ending championships for a second consecutive year as major facility upgrades reshape the fan experience

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — NASCAR Championship Weekend will remain in South Florida for 2027, with Homestead-Miami Speedway set to host the sport’s three title-deciding races Nov. 12-14, 2027.

The announcement means Homestead-Miami Speedway will host NASCAR Championship Weekend in consecutive seasons, beginning with its highly anticipated return Nov. 6-8, 2026.

The South Florida track also announced a $20 million renovation project scheduled to open this fall, featuring a redesigned primary entrance, renovated Ally Champions Club, expanded fan zone and other improvements aimed at enhancing the championship-weekend experience.

NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND STAYS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

The 2027 championship weekend will mark the 20th time Homestead-Miami Speedway has hosted NASCAR’s season-ending championship battles.

Homestead previously served as NASCAR’s championship venue for 18 consecutive seasons from 2002 through 2019.

The finale moved to Phoenix Raceway from 2020 through 2025 before returning to Homestead for the 2026 season.

“The South Florida community is thrilled to once again be the home for NASCAR Championship Weekend in 2026 and 2027, as next year will be the Speedway’s 20th time doing so,” Homestead-Miami Speedway President Guillermo Santa Cruz said.

Santa Cruz said NASCAR’s championship weekend generates significant visibility, economic activity and community engagement while providing an opportunity to showcase South Florida as a destination for major sporting events.

$20 MILLION TRANSFORMATION COMING TO HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

Fans arriving for the 2026 championship weekend will be among the first to experience the speedway’s $20 million transformation.

The project includes:

• A new primary gate and redesigned arrival experience
• A comprehensive renovation of the Ally Champions Club
• An expanded fan zone
• Additional food and beverage opportunities
• Upgraded premium hospitality and viewing areas
• Operational and aesthetic improvements throughout the facility

The redesigned main entrance is intended to improve the flow of fans into the speedway while creating a more modern first impression.

The expanded fan zone will provide additional space for interactive attractions, entertainment, sponsor activations and food and beverage options.

NASCAR INVESTS IN HOMESTEAD’S CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURE

NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Ben Kennedy said the investment positions Homestead-Miami Speedway for another era of championship racing.

“Homestead-Miami Speedway has a rich history of delivering some of the most memorable championship moments in our sport, and this investment will ensure the venue is positioned for its next era of championship racing,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy said the improvements are particularly important as NASCAR continues using a rotating model for Championship Weekend.

The investment also signals NASCAR’s continued commitment to the South Florida track as Homestead-Miami Speedway celebrates its 30th season.

ALLY CHAMPIONS CLUB GETS MAJOR UPGRADE

One of the renovation project’s centerpieces will be the transformation of the Ally Champions Club.

The premium hospitality area will feature upgraded amenities, enhanced food and beverage offerings, improved viewing opportunities and a redesigned interior influenced by South Florida and NASCAR championship racing.

“These enhancements will create a more premium and memorable experience for our fans while ensuring we are ready to host NASCAR Championship Weekend at the highest level,” Santa Cruz said.

HOMESTEAD’S CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

Homestead-Miami Speedway has played a significant role in NASCAR championship history.

The track’s distinctive 1.5-mile layout and progressive banking have produced memorable title races and championship celebrations.

Among active Cup Series drivers, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have captured Cup championships at Homestead, winning their titles in 2012 and 2018, respectively.

Kyle Larson also won at Homestead last season on his way to capturing his second career NASCAR Cup Series championship.

With the championship returning in 2026 and remaining in South Florida for 2027, a new generation of NASCAR drivers will have an opportunity to add their names to Homestead’s championship history.

2027 NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND SCHEDULE

NASCAR’s three national series will determine their champions during the three-day South Florida weekend:

Friday, Nov. 12, 2027 — NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship

Saturday, Nov. 13, 2027 — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship

Sunday, Nov. 14, 2027 — NASCAR Cup Series Championship

SOUTH FLORIDA BACK IN NASCAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Bringing NASCAR Championship Weekend back for consecutive seasons gives Homestead-Miami Speedway another opportunity to establish itself as one of the sport’s premier destination events.

For South Florida, the impact extends beyond the racetrack. Thousands of NASCAR fans traveling to the region can generate business for hotels, restaurants, tourism attractions and other local businesses throughout championship week.

The combination of back-to-back NASCAR Championship Weekends and a $20 million speedway transformation also represents a significant investment in Homestead-Miami Speedway’s future.

After six years away from NASCAR’s season finale, Homestead isn’t simply getting the championship back.

It’s getting ready to host it for years to come.

Republican incumbent cruises through GOP primary, setting up November showdown with Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon

By Florida National News

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody easily won Florida’s Republican nomination Tuesday in the special election for U.S. Senate, advancing to a November general election against Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon.

Moody dominated the Republican primary with nearly 80% of the vote. Chris Gleason finished a distant second with about 14%, while Ernest Rivera and Neelam Perry each received less than 5%.

The victory allows Moody to turn her attention to November as she campaigns to retain the Senate seat she was appointed to fill after Marco Rubio left the Senate to become secretary of state.

MOODY DOMINATES REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Unlike the upset that unfolded on the Democratic side, Moody entered Tuesday as the overwhelming favorite for the Republican nomination and delivered a decisive victory.

The Associated Press projected Moody the winner Tuesday night. Her nearly 80% share of the Republican primary vote demonstrated her strength among GOP voters heading into the general election.

The Florida Division of Elections lists Moody as the Republican incumbent and a qualified candidate for the 2026 general election.

FROM FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO U.S. SENATE

Moody entered the Senate with a statewide political base already established.

Before joining the U.S. Senate, Moody served as Florida attorney general. Gov. Ron DeSantis selected her in January 2025 to succeed Rubio, who left the Senate after being chosen to serve as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state.

The 2026 special election will determine who serves the remainder of Rubio’s Senate term.

Moody now has something she did not have when she initially entered the Senate: the Republican nomination secured directly from Florida voters.

MOODY VS. NIXON

Tuesday produced sharply different paths to the nominations.

While Moody cruised to victory on the Republican side, Nixon delivered one of Florida’s biggest primary surprises by defeating retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman for the Democratic nomination.

Nixon won despite being significantly outspent by Vindman, turning the Democratic primary into a victory for the party’s progressive wing.

The results officially set up a November contest between two women with extensive experience in Florida politics: Moody, the former state attorney general and incumbent Republican senator, and Nixon, a Jacksonville state representative known for aggressively challenging DeSantis and Republican policies in Tallahassee.

SPECIAL ELECTION CARRIES NATIONAL STAKES

Florida’s Senate contest could also have implications beyond the state.

Republicans are seeking to defend their Senate majority in the 2026 midterm elections, while Democrats are searching nationwide for opportunities to gain seats.

Florida, however, has shifted toward Republicans in recent election cycles, giving Moody a significant structural advantage entering the general election. Reuters reported after the primary that Moody is favored in the matchup.

Nixon’s victory gives Democrats a nominee with a sharply different political profile and campaign strategy.

That contrast could make the race a broader test of competing political movements: Florida’s increasingly powerful Republican establishment against a progressive Democratic campaign attempting to mobilize working-class, younger and traditionally Democratic voters.

TWO VERY DIFFERENT POLITICAL RECORDS

The general election also pits two candidates whose political identities were forged on opposite sides of Florida’s major partisan battles.

As attorney general, Moody became closely associated with DeSantis and Florida’s Republican leadership before the governor appointed her to the Senate.

Nixon built much of her statewide profile by confronting that same Republican leadership from the Florida House floor.

In 2022, Nixon joined fellow Democratic lawmakers in a House floor sit-in protesting a DeSantis-backed congressional redistricting plan.

Those competing political histories now move from Tallahassee to a statewide federal contest.

NOVEMBER: ASHLEY MOODY VS. ANGIE NIXON

The Nov. 3 special election will give Florida voters the final say over who holds the Senate seat.

For Moody, the campaign is about converting an appointment into an electoral mandate and keeping the seat in Republican hands.

For Nixon, the challenge is considerably different: turning an upset Democratic primary victory into a statewide coalition capable of defeating a Republican incumbent in a state that has moved toward the GOP.

If Nixon wins, she would become Florida’s first Black U.S. senator.

Tuesday’s primaries settled the nominations.

Now Florida’s U.S. Senate special election becomes Ashley Moody vs. Angie Nixon — an incumbent Republican former attorney general against a progressive Democratic state lawmaker — with control of a Florida Senate seat at stake.

Vilchez Santiago defeats former state Rep. Daisy Morales in contentious HD 43 rematch, marking a potential milestone for Venezuelan American representation and a shift in Central Florida’s Latino political leadership

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Samuel Vilchez Santiago, a Venezuelan-born political refugee who has publicly described the ideological divide within his family by saying, “My grandfather was a communist,” won the Democratic nomination Tuesday for Florida House District 43, defeating former state Rep. Daisy Morales in a contentious rematch six years after she defeated him.

Vilchez Santiago captured about 65% of the Democratic primary vote, according to unofficial election-night results, reversing the outcome of their first Florida House contest in 2020.

The 29-year-old Democrat now advances to the November general election for the open seat being vacated by Democratic state Rep. Johanna López.

The victory potentially puts Vilchez Santiago within one election of a significant milestone for Venezuelan American political representation in Florida while also signaling another change in the political leadership of an Orlando-area district where Puerto Rican lawmakers have recently held the seat.

From Venezuela to Central Florida Politics

Vilchez Santiago’s Venezuelan background has been central to his public identity and political career.

Born in Venezuela, Vilchez Santiago came to the United States with his family after his parents opposed the government of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

His family’s political history includes a striking ideological divide.

In a 2019 profile published by Princeton University’s Pace Center for Civic Engagement, Vilchez Santiago discussed growing up around politics and said, “My grandfather was a communist.”

At the same time, Vilchez Santiago described his parents as politically active opponents of the Chavista government in Venezuela.

The distinction is important: The statement describes his grandfather’s political beliefs. It does not establish that Vilchez Santiago himself is or was a communist.

His family’s experience ultimately led Vilchez Santiago to the United States, where he grew up in Central Florida, attended Colonial High School and later graduated from Princeton University.

He subsequently built a career in immigrant advocacy, nonprofit work and Democratic politics.

Why It Matters: Central Florida’s Latino Political Landscape Is Changing

The result represents more than a rematch between two Democratic candidates.

If Vilchez Santiago wins the November general election, an Orlando-area Florida House seat recently represented by Puerto Rican-born lawmakers would move to a Venezuelan-born legislator, illustrating the growing diversity — and changing centers of political influence — within Central Florida’s Latino electorate.

Morales, who was born in Puerto Rico, won election to the Florida House in 2020 and represented the former House District 48.

López, the current House District 43 representative, is also Puerto Rican-born.

With López leaving the House and Morales losing Tuesday’s Democratic primary, the district could transition from Puerto Rican-born representation to Venezuelan-born representation.

That is particularly notable in Central Florida, home to one of the nation’s most politically significant Puerto Rican populations.

But the result should not be interpreted as Puerto Rican voters rejecting Puerto Rican representation.

Hispanic voters are not a single political bloc, and election results alone cannot establish how voters of any particular national origin cast their ballots.

Instead, the election illustrates how Central Florida’s Latino political landscape continues to expand beyond traditional Puerto Rican political leadership as Venezuelan and other Latin American communities increase their civic and electoral influence.

Potential Historic Milestone for Venezuelan Americans

Vilchez Santiago’s victory could also carry significance beyond House District 43.

When he first sought election to the Florida House in 2020, his candidacy was publicly described as an effort to become the first Venezuelan American elected to the chamber.

Six years later, he is closer to achieving that goal.

His rise also reflects the increasing political visibility of Venezuelan Americans outside South Florida, where the community has historically maintained its largest political presence in the state.

Vilchez Santiago’s personal story — from Venezuelan political refugee to Democratic nominee for the Florida Legislature — could become part of that broader political transition if he wins in November.

Six Years Later, the Result Is Reversed

Tuesday’s election was a political rematch six years in the making.

Morales defeated Vilchez Santiago in the 2020 Democratic primary for the former House District 48.

She went on to win the general election and entered the Florida Legislature.

The political circumstances were dramatically different in 2026.

Vilchez Santiago entered this year’s contest with significantly greater political infrastructure, fundraising and institutional support than during his first legislative campaign.

He secured endorsements from Democratic elected officials, organized labor and political organizations, positioning himself as the establishment-backed candidate in the primary.

The result demonstrated how dramatically political fortunes can change.

In 2020, Morales defeated Vilchez Santiago and advanced to the Florida House.

In 2026, Vilchez Santiago reversed the outcome and captured the Democratic nomination.

Money, PAC Support and Democratic Establishment Become Part of the Story

Money and institutional support emerged as major factors in the 2026 campaign.

Vilchez Santiago’s campaign and political allies entered the closing weeks with a substantial financial advantage, while Democratic organizations and labor groups lined up behind his candidacy.

The Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee also became directly involved in the race through campaign communications supporting Vilchez Santiago and attacking Morales.

The scale and source of political spending became a central issue during the final weeks of the primary, with Morales questioning the financial relationships among Vilchez Santiago’s campaign, supporting political committees and Democratic Party organizations.

Those financial relationships and expenditures should be evaluated through publicly filed campaign-finance records, which provide the authoritative accounting of contributions and spending.

Regardless of the controversy surrounding the spending, Tuesday’s results demonstrated the effectiveness of the political coalition supporting Vilchez Santiago.

Contentious Final Days Bring Defamation Lawsuit

The primary became increasingly bitter as Election Day approached.

Days before voting ended, Morales filed a defamation lawsuit against Vilchez Santiago and the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee over political mailers that accused her of supporting Republican candidates and referenced her removal from the Orange County Democratic Party.

Morales disputes key assertions contained in the campaign communications.

Vilchez Santiago rejected the allegations and publicly characterized the lawsuit as politically motivated.

The lawsuit remains separate from the election result. Allegations contained in a civil complaint are not findings of wrongdoing, and the defendants are entitled to contest the claims through the judicial process.

Florida Elections Complaint Adds Another Layer

Morales also pursued an election-related complaint concerning campaign statements and activities surrounding the race.

That proceeding is likewise separate from Tuesday’s election results.

Any determination of whether Florida election law was violated belongs to the appropriate election authorities and, where applicable, the courts.

Unless an authorized government body or court determines otherwise, the unofficial election results proceed through Florida’s normal certification process.

The existence of an election complaint does not establish that any person or organization violated the law.

From Party Chairman to Democratic Nominee

Vilchez Santiago’s political résumé has expanded considerably since his first House campaign.

He later served as chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party and became increasingly involved in state and national Democratic politics.

His professional work has included immigrant advocacy and nonprofit political fundraising, including work with ActBlue.

He also built relationships with elected officials, organized labor and Democratic organizations that became important political assets during his second campaign for the Florida House.

Those connections helped transform the candidate who lost to Morales in 2020 into the Democratic nominee six years later.

A Family History Shaped by Competing Political Ideologies

Perhaps the most distinctive element of Vilchez Santiago’s political biography is the contrast within his own family’s experience.

His grandfather, according to Vilchez Santiago’s own published account, was a communist.

His parents opposed Venezuela’s Chavista government.

His family fled political persecution and sought refuge in the United States.

Vilchez Santiago grew up in Central Florida, attended Princeton, entered Democratic politics, chaired the Orange County Democratic Party and became involved in national political and nonprofit work.

Now he is the Democratic nominee for a seat in the Florida Legislature.

That trajectory gives the HD 43 election a dimension extending beyond a typical state legislative primary.

What Comes Next

Winning the Democratic nomination does not make Vilchez Santiago a state representative.

He must still win the November general election.

The general-election campaign will determine whether Tuesday’s Democratic primary victory ultimately produces a potentially historic Venezuelan American breakthrough in the Florida House.

It will also determine who succeeds López in representing a diverse district that includes communities across East Orlando and the Lake Nona area.

Six years after Morales defeated him for a Democratic House nomination, Vilchez Santiago reversed the outcome Tuesday.

His next test comes in November — when voters will decide whether his journey from Venezuelan political refugee to Democratic nominee ends with a seat in the Florida Legislature.