Up Close and Personal

Get your tickets for the NASCAR Championship Weekend

Last week in this space we dissected some of the key storylines that have taken place so far during the course of the 2018 season.

   The opportunity to witness one or more of those narratives unfold right here in South Florida is within reach, as tickets for this year’s Ford Championship Weekend – November 16-18 - go on sale starting today.

   For those of you who have been in attendance at one or more of the 16 previous championship events we have hosted, you are well aware of the thrill that exists of experiencing all of the amenities that are associated with a NASCAR race weekend, especially when that weekend decides three championships in as many days. Whether it is getting a first-hand view of the drivers and cars preparing for the sport’s most important moment, being able to listen to all of the communication between the driver, crew chief and spotter, or just enjoying three great days of racing and entertainment, you can’t match the feeling of being right here for NASCAR’s championship event.

Many fans of NASCAR tell me all the time that part of the reason they became avid followers of the sport is because of the at-track experience that can’t be mimicked in the comfort of your own home. No matter how extravagant your home entertainment unit might be, it’s not nearly as engaging and interactive as a weekend at a NASCAR race event – and a championship event at that.

There is something for everyone, whether you’ve been a fervent race fan for a long time or you are just being introduced to the sport. For the staunchest of fans, many take advantage of our three-day packages which consist of the championship races in all three of NASCAR’s national series, run over the course of three days.

   Others who are maybe just “feeling out” the sport can opt for scaled down versions, such as the Camping World Truck Series championship race on Friday night or the XFINITY Series championship race on Saturday, which are 200 and 300 miles in length, respectively, as opposed to the 400 miles of the Monster Energy Series title race on Sunday. Still great racing, just a little shorter and featuring many of the future stars of the Monster Energy Series.

The other “perk” of the Friday and Saturday races is pricing. For kids 12 and younger, the general admission grandstanding seating is free on Friday and Saturday. Reserved grandstands is half-price for Saturday’s XFINITY race and for the Monster Energy championship race on Sunday. It’s a great way to get the whole family enveloped in all of the excitement that racing has to offer at what amounts to an amazing value.

   If you want to go all in, the three-day package provides a plethora of opportunities not available in any other championship event in sports. Have you ever imagined being on the same field where a Super Bowl just concluded and being right next to the stage where the game’s MVP is holding the Vince Lombardi trophy high above his shoulders? With a three-day package you have the ability to partake in the post-race celebration for all three races that take place over the course of the weekend, and even come away with some remnants of confetti.

   And even with all of the championship implications, believe it or not the racing is just one reason for the enthusiasm that is seen on the faces of the tens of thousands of fans who flock to Homestead-Miami Speedway each November.

   The list of past pre-race performers who have played in front of Sunday’s sold-out crowd prior to the Ford Eco-Boost 400 has been impressive to say the least. It has included such acts as Eli Young (2017), The Band Perry (2016), Tim McGraw (2015), Jason Aldean (2014), Dierks Bentley (2013) and Kid Rock (2012).

   RV camping has always been a staple at NASCAR events, and ours is no different. Seeing the camaraderie that exists among the people who have been coming to Ford Championship Weekend virtually every year is really something special to see. It’s even better to experience.

   The displays, the dedicated Kids Zone, and other bands spread throughout our grounds over the course of the three days, are also things that differentiate a NASCAR race weekend from most other sporting events, and which also keep entire families coming back each year.

   Between some of the most competitive racing on the NASCAR circuit, the aura of a championship event and the all of the amenities available outside of the racing, we annually attract fans from all 50 states and more than 20 countries.

   And living right in the shadows of a venue that will be hosting the championship of a major sport for the 17th straight year in 2018, you too have a chance to be immersed into everything that makes Ford Championship Weekend the spectacle it has become.

NASCAR ACTION THIS WEEKEND

Sunday, May 6 at 2:00 PM (ET)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway

Tune In: FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

Saturday, May 5 at 1:30 PM (ET)

NASCAR XFINITY Series OneMain Financial 200 at Dover International Speedway

Tune In: FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

Friday, May 4 at 5:00 PM (ET)

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series JEGS 200 at Dover International Speedway

Tune In: FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

UPCOMING EVENTS AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

May 4 Fast Lane Friday

May 5-6 Championship Cup Series (CCS) Motorcycle Racing

May 12 Performance Driving Group

May 13 Miami Exotic Auto Racing

May 19-20 Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)

May 26-27 Formula & Automobile Racing Association (FARA)

2018 HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY NASCAR DATES

Nov. 16 Ford EcoBoost 200 Camping World Truck Series Championship Race

Nov. 17 Ford EcoBoost 300 XFINITY Series Championship Race

Nov. 18 Ford EcoBoost 4