After Phoenix Raceway hosted each NASCAR Cup Series championship decider from 2020 to 2025, Homestead-Miami Speedway is back in the season finale slot for the first time in seven years with Sunday's Straight Talk Wireless to wrap up the 36-race 2026 season.
But it's the first title decider since 2013, not 2019, that is set to be decided at this particular track under an iteration of the 10-race "Chase" postseason format.
It was the "win and in", knockout-style Championship 4 format which debuted at the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Homestead, Florida oval in 2014 and had been used ever since, including each year at Homestead from 2014 to 2019.
There is no longer a guaranteed four-driver championship battle, and while this year's battle officially includes three drivers, Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson owns a massive lead over Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Christopher Bell (-67) and Denny Hamlin (-70) with a maximum of 76 points up for grabs.
Larson qualified fourth for Sunday's 267-lap and is set to start one row behind Hamlin in second and one row ahead of Bell in sixth. It's Joe Gibbs Racing's Chase Briscoe, the top driver in the standings who has already been mathematically eliminated, who took the pole position in Saturday's qualifying session.
If the three title contenders finish stage one where they start, Larson will clinch the championship even before the second stage begins.
Follow along with our Straight Talk Wireless 400 race updates from Homestead-Miami.
NASCAR Cup Series at Homestead-Miami: Straight Talk Wireless 400 Stage 1 results
1 - Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
2 - Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
3 - Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
4 - Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
5 - Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
6 - Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
7 - Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
8 - Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
9 - William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10 - Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
*Kyle Larson clinches the championship.
NASCAR Cup Series at Homestead-Miami: Straight Talk Wireless 400 Stage 2 results
NASCAR Cup Series at Homestead-Miami: Full Straight Talk Wireless 400 results
The NASCAR Cup Series is now set for an offseason of over three months in length, with action scheduled to resume on Saturday, February 13, 2027 with the preseason Wheatley Vodka Clash at Daytona International Speedway. T-minus 97 days; start your countdowns. The Daytona oval hasn't hosted the exhibition race since 2020. The season is officially scheduled to get underway 15 weeks (105 days) from now on Sunday, February 21 with the 69th annual Daytona 500. Live coverage is set to be provided by Fox.
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