NASCAR announced its 2022 Cup Series schedule. And Homestead returns to the playoffs.

Jason Dill
·2 min read
Seems like during COVID, many drivers view themselves as NASCAR racers.

From 2002 to 2019, Homestead-Miami Speedway served as the NASCAR Cup Series championship finale.

Now the Miami-Dade County track is returning to NASCAR’s Cup Series playoff schedule after after NASCAR announced its 2022 schedule in a press release. But instead of being the final race of the season, the Dixie Vodka 400 will be in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as second race in the Round of 8.

The event is slated for Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.

“We can’t wait for October of 2022, taking us back to our storied past in the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway president Al Garcia in the press release. “From our very first Cup Series race here in 1999 up until two years ago, we hosted the premier series in the fall and we are thrilled to have that tradition rekindled. In 18 of the last 20 years, we crowned a champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway, so it’s great to be back in the title mix. We are excited to welcome fans back to our community during the fall, which is so nice in South Florida. We can’t wait for their return, and we will have the greatest 1.5-mile venue ready for them.”

Homestead-Miami was the first venue to welcome fans back when they hosted the 2020 Dixie Vodka 400 in June 2020 after the original March date was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, the race was part of the Florida February Swing.

“It is with great excitement that the City of Homestead looks forward to Homestead-Miami Speedway hosting the second race in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs,” said Homestead Mayor Steve Losner in a press release. “We can’t wait to hear the roar of the engines of the magnificent NASCAR machines next fall at the track, which has been a mainstay in our community for more than a quarter century.”

Tickets are available online or by phone to the general public, starting at $35 for adults and $10 for children ages 12-and-younger. Lower pricing is available to fans, who originally bought tickets to the 2021 event, when renewing by the Nov. 7 deadline.

“Miami-Dade County and Homestead-Miami Speedway made a statement in June of 2020, setting the standard for following protocols at major sporting events,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in a press release. “This past February, the track continued that trend, and now, we get ready for a return to NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with the greatest racing in the world next October, right here in Miami-Dade County. We look forward to welcoming fans from everywhere.”

For information visit www.HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com or call (866) 409-RACE (7223). And the full 2022 schedule can be found at www.nascar.com.