“I think it would be good to cycle the championship race.” Kevin Harvick had expressed his opinions some time back after fans demanded a shift in the venue of the annual Championship race. Why does he need a rotating venue, you may ask? Well, for years, NASCAR fans have grumbled about the championship feeling just a little too… predictable.

Same track, same vibes, year after year — and while Phoenix Raceway has given us its share of drama, many felt the finale deserved a bigger stage. Like clockwork, every offseason lit up with the same debates: Should Homestead come back? Should the final race move around? Well, according to reports by The Athletic earlier this month, NASCAR listened, and the 2026 Championship race is set to return to Homestead Miami Speedway!

Surprisingly, NASCAR isn’t letting dollar signs call all the shots this time. Even better? One of the sport’s biggest voices, Denny Hamlin, is fully backing the idea. However, Hamlin also proposed his own championship format, and who knows, maybe NASCAR could get behind this one, too?

Denny Hamlin praises NASCAR’s bold shift

NASCAR shifted the championship race from Homestead-Miami to Phoenix in 2020 to provide a fresh, modern venue and to invigorate the season finale with a new challenge for teams and fans. Phoenix Raceway’s one-mile layout offers unique racing dynamics and a more central location, and its upgraded facilities have consistently drawn sellout crowds, enhancing the championship atmosphere and fan experience. But now, it seems like fans have had enough of Phoenix, prompting the shift back to Homestead, which hosted the season finale for 18 years.

Joe Gibbs Racing #11 and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin welcomed the rumored shake-up to NASCAR’s playoff finale. Speaking on his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin said, “Yeah, that’s exciting. I certainly believe that it [Homestead Miami] deserves to come back.” However, the veteran hopes that NASCAR is doing more than just bringing it back to its championship roots.

Denny continued, “It’d be awesome if it was like Phoenix, Vegas, Miami — like that’s the championship round and then every year it just rotates which track is the final.” It’s a move that would break the cycle of sameness that fans have long criticized. Hamlin emphasized the variety this would bring, adding, “You got a short track and intermediate, and then the super intermediate, which is Homestead. It is wildly different than anything that we run.” Each track offers distinct challenges. Phoenix has flat corners, Vegas has fast-paced racing, and Homestead is famous for its high tire wear. These differences at the racetracks create a true test of driver versatility for a champion.

Hamlin also commended NASCAR’s commitment to the change despite financial pushback, noting, “Jordan Bianchi reported that NASCAR is doing this regardless of the kind of financing that comes from the city itself.” Traditionally, tracks and local governments offer big incentives to host marquee races like the championship. Phoenix Raceway and the city of Avondale, for example, struck deals worth millions to secure NASCAR’s title race. Choosing competition over cash signals a rare but welcome priority reset.

Finally, Hamlin succinctly summarized, “It does get a little bit stale sometimes when you continue to have the final championship race in the same place.” He’s not wrong. Many fans and insiders have argued that the same ending every year feels predictable. In contrast, the NFL rotates Super Bowl sites annually, keeping energy and unpredictability alive. NASCAR adopting a similar model could inject much-needed freshness into its playoff system.

While the Championship race changes are certainly bringing a smile to Hamlin’s face, the 2025 All-Star race proposition did not paint a happy picture.

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NASCAR is finally listening to fans, but it’s not all smooth sailing

NASCAR’s move to shake up its championship format and experiment with “Run what Ya Brung” for the All-Star Race shows a newfound willingness to listen to fans. NASCAR proposed to teams that they could make whatever modifications they wanted to Next-Gen parts within the inspection limits for the race. It seems like a great idea from the outside, but from the perspective of the teams, Denny Hamlin revealed why they disregarded the idea.

Hamlin didn’t shy away from voicing concerns about the All-Star Race tweaks. While he acknowledged that the thought of having cars that are different speeds from each other is fantastic, he also warned about the financial burden. “There are a lot of positives that could come from that, but who is going to pay for it?” he asked, noting that building specialized cars could cost $2 million just for a shot at a $1 million prize, hardly a winning formula for teams. So, why spend money on a race that won’t help with the Championship points or bring substantial monetary benefits?

However, while NASCAR is adopting a non-greedy approach for the championship race, as pointed out by Hamlin, the same can’t be said about team owners now, can it? NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck recently called out what he believes is the true reason behind the All-Star idea’s rejection by owners, including Denny Hamlin: team owners’ greed.

In Gluck’s words, teams didn’t want to spend millions on experimenting with the cars. They are looking to cut costs and maximize their profits as much as they can. Gluck said on the Teardown podcast with Jordan Bianchi, “You complain about, ‘They won’t let us do anything with this car!’… and then they say, ‘OK, here’s a race, do whatever you want,’ … and you say, ‘No, that would cost money!’” 

Despite the hurdles, it’s clear that NASCAR is trying to find a middle ground between fan excitement and financial reality. Change is never easy, especially in a sport where tradition runs deep. But the recent moves hint at a willingness to evolve. Whether the balance can be struck between innovation and sustainability remains to be seen, but at least the conversation has finally begun.