Homestead-Miami Speedway Prepares for National Spotlight

As Homestead-Miami Speedway prepares to host the 2026 NASCAR Championship Weekend, the facility is not just getting ready for another race. It is preparing for one of the largest national stages to return to South Dade.

The championship weekend is scheduled for Nov. 6-8, 2026, bringing NASCAR’s three national series finales back to Homestead-Miami Speedway. The weekend will include the NASCAR Truck Series Championship on Friday, Nov. 6, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7, and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday, Nov. 8.

For Guillermo Santa Cruz, president of Homestead-Miami Speedway, the work is already well underway.

Santa Cruz, who began leading Homestead-Miami Speedway on July 1, 2024, is entering his third year at the track as preparations continue for the championship return. Since the announcement, the speedway has been working on improvements designed to refresh the facility before fans, teams, media and visitors arrive in November 2026.

“When we found out we were going to get championship, we immediately got going with a plan to improve the facility,” Santa Cruz said.

“Make sure that when people come to Homestead in November of 2026, they find a facility that’s been refurbished, refreshed. It’s not what they saw the last time the championship was here.”

Improvements include new paint, upgraded suites and hospitality areas, and a new fan zone in front of the facility’s main building designed for more fans, activations and amenities. The speedway has also refreshed trackside visuals, including a more vibrant wall color intended to improve how the facility appears on television.

But while the facility is being refreshed, Santa Cruz said the speedway is leaving the most important part alone.

“One thing that is very important, that we need our fans to know, is that we are not touching the track itself,” Santa Cruz said.

“The track surface is perfect and we don’t mess with it.”

According to Santa Cruz, the racing product at Homestead-Miami Speedway remains one of the track’s strongest assets. The surface and layout allow drivers to move around, search for different racing lines and run close to the wall, creating the kind of competition that has made the speedway popular with both drivers and fans.

“The product that people are going to see on track is going to be the same, fantastic, second-to-none product that Homestead-Miami Speedway is known for,” Santa Cruz said.

Santa Cruz brings a background that extends well beyond motorsports. His career includes more than 30 years in media, sports and entertainment. Before joining NASCAR, he served as vice president for Latin America, Mexico and U.S. Hispanic markets at IMG. His background also includes work with Telemundo, Univision and the U.S. Office of Cuba Broadcasting. He is an Emmy Award-winning producer and co-winner of an Edward R. Murrow Award.

For Santa Cruz, that mix of experience has helped shape the way he approaches the speedway’s next chapter. He said growing up in Miami and understanding the local market has been especially important, as has his experience producing major live events.

“My career background as a TV producer was a wonderful way to prepare for this because putting on a race, even a championship race, is not that different from producing a big event like FIFA World Cup or like the Olympics, both of which I have done,” Santa Cruz said.

Santa Cruz said the upgrades are intended to improve the experience for all visitors, not only hospitality guests.

The speedway’s community role will also be on display this week during Race to the Fourth, a City of Homestead Independence Day celebration held at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Santa Cruz said the speedway values its partnership with the city and the opportunity to open the facility to residents and visitors.

“We love opening our doors to everyone in South Florida, but particularly to our neighbors here in Homestead,” Santa Cruz said.

As the speedway looks ahead to Nov. 6-8, 2026, the championship weekend represents more than a three-day racing schedule. It is a chance to bring national attention back to Homestead, support local tourism and hospitality, and remind residents that one of NASCAR’s most respected tracks is part of South Dade’s identity.

For Santa Cruz, the goal is to make sure the facility is ready for that moment while remaining connected to the community around it.

“We only get one chance to get it right,” he said.