Fast Track Facts: Homestead-Miami Speedway

credit: NASCAR Media
Four drivers – Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. – head to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend with a chance to become the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion. Learn more about the track hosting the Ford Championship Weekend for NASCAR’s top three national series in this week’s Fast Facts, originally published in Nov. 2014.
  • The idea for Homestead-Miami Speedway stems from the destruction caused by Hurricane Andrew in Aug. 1992. In an effort to revitalize the area after the storm, promoter Ralph Sanchez presented his idea for a motorsports facility in Sept. 1992; on Aug. 24, 1993 – exactly one year after the Hurricane – groundbreaking for the track took place. The facility currently has a 1.5-mile oval and a 2.3-mile road course.
  • The first official NASCAR race at the track was a Busch (now Xfinity) Series race on Nov. 3, 1995, won by Dale Jarrett. The day before, Geoffrey Bodine won a Truck Series exhibition race at the track.
  • The first Cup Series race at the track was on Nov. 14, 1999, won by Tony Stewart. To accommodate the event, the speedway doubled its seating capacity.
  • After the Indy Racing League made its initial appearance in 2001, with Sam Hornish Jr. taking the checkered flag, the speedway was awarded NASCAR’s Ford Championship Weekend beginning in 2002; all three of NASCAR’s top series – Trucks, Xfinity and Cup – end their seasons at HMS.
  • In May 2003, a $12-million track reconfiguration transforms the nearly-flat track to one with 18- to 20-degree variable banking. In Nov. 2005, the first season finales took place under the lights.
  • In 2009, HMS hosted season finales for six of North America’s major motorsports series: IndyCar, Indy Lights, GRAND-AM, Sprint (now Monster Energy NASCAR) Cup, Nationwide (now Xfinity) and the Truck Series.
  • Greg Biffle and Stewart lead all drivers with three wins; Jeff Gordon has the most top fives (seven) and is tied for the most top 10s with Harvick (12). Keselowski set the NASCAR track qualifying record in Nov. 2014 (181.238 mph/29.795 seconds).
  • Find out more about Homestead-Miami Speedway at www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com

Fast Track Facts: Homestead-Miami Speedway Fast Track Facts: Homestead-Miami Speedway Reviewed by Paula on Tuesday, November 14, 2017 Rating: 5