NASCAR: Homestead-Miami Speedway race postponed

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway has been postponed, although NASCAR can still run the race without fans.

The coronavirus outbreak has caused the NASCAR race weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, scheduled for next weekend, to be put on hold.

Homestead-Miami Speedway has hosted the Cup Series season finale since the 2002 season, but it was replaced as the host of the title race by Phoenix Raceway and moved to March.

Now there are doubts about whether or not the Dixie Vodka 400 will happen in March at all; this remains a developing situation.

The 267-lap Cup Series race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) oval in Homestead, Florida was scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 22.

While the race is postponed, Miami-Dade County has said that NASCAR can choose to run the event anyway but without fans in attendance.

UPDATE: NASCAR has chosen to run the event anyway but without fans in attendance. They have opted for the same for this weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. As of now, both events are on. Check back on our postponement and cancellation page for more updates.

Here is what Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez had to say about the race in his statement on the cancellation on mass gatherings, according to a county news release.

"“The March 22 NASCAR race at the Homestead Miami Speedway is postponed at this time. NASCAR officials will decide whether or not to hold the race without fans.”"

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While there was nothing in the release about the Truck Series and Xfinity Series races at the track that weekend, they are scheduled to take place on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21, respectively.

As a result, they will be affected by this decision in one way or another.

There is still no decision on whether the Cup Series race will be run without fans on the originally scheduled date or completely rescheduled for another date, according to Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass.

Pockrass also stated that NASCAR is set to discuss its plan for near-term race scheduling later this afternoon.

This race weekend is the first on the NASCAR schedule to be affected by this outbreak and the threat of COVID-19. Several other sporting events not only in the United States but around the globe have already been postponed and/or canceled.

This weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race, the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, is scheduled to go on as planned at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET.