The NASCAR Silly Season this time around isn’t just restricted to drivers, but multiple race tracks are in a similar position with the expected release of the 2025 Cup Series schedule. It’s fair to say that there are huge changes expected to the schedule given the prospect of an international race. But there are more surprises to the new schedule.

According to a report by a prominent NASCAR journalist, Jordan Bianchi, the Talladega Superspeedway race will be moved to the semi-final stage in the playoffs. Since 2014, Talladega has retrained its spot in the second round of the playoffs. However, this new development is going to add more chaos and excitement to already high-voltage knock-out stage encounters.

This meant that one of the existing tracks holding the semi-final race would have to make way for the drafting oval track. And adding to the misery of NASCAR fans, it’s the Homestead Miami Speedway that will lose its place. What’s more surprising is that Homestead will not retain its place as a playoff race venue. Rather, it is shifted to the regular season, with Atlanta Motor Speedway and Watkin Glen following suit.

The Miami race is renowned for its intense Round of 8, where playoff contenders fiercely compete for spots in the coveted Championship 4. Last year, the South Florida 1.5-mile track played a crucial role in the championship battle, hosting the 4EVER 400. Presented by Mobil 1. This race offered an automatic bid into the season finale, making it a pivotal event for drivers aiming to secure their place in the Championship 4.

But replacing the important venues are Darlington, New Hampshire Speedway, and Gateway. However, the big change was indeed the addition of a superspeedway race at the business end of the season. Now it’s not a secret that drivers aren’t fond of fuel mileage racing on these drafting tracks. Especially with the notorious characteristic of Talladega, which produces big wrecks and pile-ups.

Remember the 1987 Winston 500 at Talladega? It was a game changer for NASCAR, all thanks to Bobby Allison’s dramatic incident. Running at over 200 mph, Allison’s tire blew out, sending his car sideways and airborne—a heartbreaking moment for everyone watching. That crash led NASCAR to make some big changes. They immediately mandated smaller carburetors for the rest of the ’87 season at Talladega and Daytona. By the next year, restrictor plates were in full force at these two high-speed tracks, forever altering the landscape of NASCAR racing.

And who could forget the 1996 DieHard 500? Dale Earnhardt had everyone holding their breath when he got into the wall coming out of a turn. After smacking the barrier, the No. 3 car flipped and slid across the track right into oncoming traffic. Cars collided with his roof and windshield as he bounced between them. In true ‘Intimidator’ fashion, Earnhardt walked away from the wreck and headed to the ambulance on his own.

And then there was the 2019 GEICO 500, a race that left everyone talking about the wild finish involving Kyle Larson. On the last lap, chaos erupted when David Ragan and William Byron made contact, sending Byron into the outside wall. He bounced back into the pack, hitting Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet on the side. Larson’s car was sent barreling towards the inside wall, flipping multiple times down the apron after a brutal impact. It was a heart-stopping moment that showed just how unpredictable and intense NASCAR can be.

Luck becomes a major factor for a win at such venues more than racecraft or skill, at least with the Next Gen car.

While NASCAR is heavily invested in revamping its schedule for next year, this move in particular didn’t sit well with the fans. Like always, they made their feelings heard through their comments and arguments on social media platform X.

Was moving Talladega up to the semi-finals a good call by NASCAR?

Miami Homestead has been the preferred choice for the season’s final race ever since the turn of the century. In the knockout era since 2014, it has hosted six championship races in a row. But that trend was broken in 2020 when Phoenix took over the duties, and since then, Homestead has been falling out of favor. Commenting on this unfair treatment of the iconic track, a fan wrote, “Another epic fail by NASCAR moving Homestead out of the playoffs. Should be the season finale. Not sure why they can’t do the right thing ever.”

It is not a secret that the NASCAR community does not want the Charlotte Roval road course race. If Talladega had to promote, it could have been at the expense of Roval, with Homestead keeping its playoff spot. These were the sentiments of the fans who could not help but question how the road course race still retained its place, “Why are the continuing with the Roval?”

Some excited Front Row Motorsports fans started predicting their new star driver’s title hopes after seeing a drafting track deep into the playoffs. “michael mcdowell in the final 4 is actually such a reasonable prediction if that happened 😭.”

Although most fans are against road course races in the playoffs, this fan couldn’t wrap his head around the logic of only one race. Given that NASCAR is planning to add more road courses with ambitious international races. “Weird considering I heard Mexico and Canada might be added to the schedule. Why only 1 road course in the playoffs and potentially 6 in the regular season?”

What could have been the reason for Homestead’s fall from grace? Is it dwindling attendance or a bad racing surface? Well, this fan had an answer for that. “The facility matters. If Phoenix had a bad facility or wouldn’t get the race. How the place looks matters.”

What do you make of these seismic changes by NASCAR to its playoff schedule? And does Miami Homestead deserve a playoff race, or is it better off being a regular-season feature?