NASCAR: The beginning of a brand new era
By Asher Fair
A new era is set to begin this weekend with the first NASCAR championship race at a track other than Homestead-Miami Speedway since 2001.
Another NASCAR season has reached its final weekend. But for the first time in nearly two decades, there will not be a season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The last time a season finale for the Cup Series, Xfinity Series or Truck Series was held at a track other than the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Homestead-Miami Speedway oval in Homestead, Florida was back in 2001.
The 2001 Cup Series season finale was contested at New Hampshire Motor Speedway while the Truck Series season finale at contested at Auto Club Speedway.
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For the Xfinity Series, the season finale hasn’t been contested elsewhere since 1994 when it was held at Rockingham Speedway.
It was confirmed last March for the Cup Series and last April for the Xfinity Series and Truck Series that instead of Homestead-Miami Speedway hosting the season finale, the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) Phoenix Raceway oval in Avondale, Arizona is set to do so for the first time in the history of all three series.
The 150-lap Truck Series race is scheduled to take place this evening, and it is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. The 200-lap Xfinity Series race is scheduled to take place tomorrow afternoon, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Finally, the 312-lap Cup Series race is scheduled to take place on Sunday afternoon, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.
It has already been confirmed that for the 2021 season, the season finales for all three of these series are set to continue to be held at Phoenix Raceway, so this weekend marks the dawn of a new era.
The alterations to the Cup Series short track package prior to the season made the March race at the venue far more competitive than the races there were last year, and it made this season’s short track races more competitive as a whole. As a result, there is plenty of optimism as this new era begins.
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Who will be crowned 2020 NASCAR Truck Series champion? Who will be crowned 2020 Xfinity Series champion? Who will be crowned 2020 Cup Series champion? Tune in this weekend to find out.