“I think it’s going to be fun to see the drivers’ reaction.” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer, knew what he was saying. The sanctioning body has been under fire for several executive decisions in recent times. From removing pylons at certain tracks to delaying suspension for rowdy Xfinity drivers, many calls received heat from drivers. However, the latest major decision regarding rotating the championship was praised by many, including Bubba Wallace.

The 23XI Racing driver has been on a spectacular ride in the 2025 season. Unlike his previous disappointments, Bubba Wallace is fetching good finishes early, and that includes a remarkable 3rd-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway. With NASCAR planning to go back to Homestead for the championship, Wallace is enthusiastic.

Bubba Wallace gives his blessings

The Toyota driver is currently in his 8th season in the Cup Series. Bubba Wallace cracked the playoffs for the first time in 2023 and narrowly fell short in 2024 despite having a better season overall. Given his sparkling podium finish in Homestead, the veteran cannot wait for NASCAR to go back to the South Florida track for the 2026 championship.

Last week, Ben Kennedy announced that Homestead will return as the championship finale for all three national series next year as part of a larger rotation model for the Championship Weekend. Since hosting the first championship in 2002, Homestead has witnessed legends like Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch dramatically fetch their career-defining titles.

So Bubba Wallace cannot wait for this star-studded track to reappear for the season finale. In an interview with Frontstretch, the 23XI Racing driver let slip his giddy verdict. “Yeah, I think I support that 100%. I know I support that 100%. I think it’s a great move. I think it needs to continue to rotate. Obviously, Homestead’s pretty much every driver in the field’s favorite track, one of their favorite tracks, right? ..When you have everybody invested into a racetrack, I think that induces a little bit more intensity on the racetrack just because we love competing there.”

The last race at Homestead-Miami was undoubtedly Wallace’s best of the season, but it also showcased the best out of every driver who fought for the win. Homestead’s hero, Kyle Larson, took the crown with his impeccable ability to ride inches from the wall. His teammate, Alex Bowman, gave a great fight but succumbed to the #5, finishing in 2nd place. The race echoed what a championship race should be: the best drivers on the day battling it out as laps dwindle, and Homestead provided exactly that.

Homestead-Miami has long been lauded as a true test of driver skill. That is due to a well-worn surface and progressive banking that produces multiple racing grooves. With recent thrilling finishes there and multiple performance metrics to support it, other drivers also echoed Bubba Wallace‘s opinion. “I think it’s awesome, and I think it should have happened a long time ago,” said Christopher Bell. Chase Elliott said it is high time to move on from Phoenix, which has hosted the finale since 2020. “It’s been a long time [in Phoenix], so I’m glad to see it move around. I think it’s important to have that shift and not just be one track.”

Along with Homestead, other tracks will also appear on the schedule soon. But potential championship venues need to check off a few boxes first. They need to fall within the parameters of a weather-friendly, traditional-style oval near a major market. Bubba Wallace expressed his concerns along these lines. He said, “So we need to find a couple of more tracks that are like that, too. But the on-track product has to go with that, right?”

While multiple tracks fit the bill for these criteria, one stood out for drivers.

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All eyes are on a crown jewel track

Well, Ben Kennedy was clear about how to include tracks in the rotation model. It needs to emphasize “traditional NASCAR racing”. That omits road courses and superspeedways, while throwing in short tracks, intermediates, and one-milers into the mix. Among these select tracks is Charlotte Motor Speedway, the hallowed venue that hosts the Coca-Cola 600 race.

It checks off a lot of boxes as well. Charlotte’s oval track consistently produces good racing, is in the heart of NASCAR country, and has a good-sized, fan-friendly market. The weather might not match NASCAR’s aspirations, and Charlotte lacks the pizzazz of South Florida or Las Vegas. But considering the massive optimism displayed by drivers, it could be a great option.

Several Cup Series drivers had their eyes on the 1.5-mile oval. Christopher Bell said, “Charlotte would be a great venue. I think you’d be rolling the dice with weather there, but maybe a day race at Charlotte would be acceptable.” Tyler Reddick, the 2024 regular season champion, also showed a green light. “I feel like Charlotte Motor Speedway would be great. Obviously, we were just at Phoenix, but it’s a good climate for championship weekend. Outside of that, there’s not a whole lot of tracks to choose from in November that will be the right temperature.” Even William Byron was optimistic: “As weird as it sounds, I think Charlotte would be one of the better ovals for a championship race. The Charlotte oval’s gotten really, really tough, really competitive.”

So, Bubba Wallace’s apprehensions about including more tracks may be solved. Even so, we can only wait and see what other venues will get lucky alongside Homestead in the rotation model.