NASCAR insider reveals what Ben Kennedy said about Daytona's championship rotation prospect

NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck has shared that Daytona International Speedway will not be part of the future championship race rotation in the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series. That news came straight from NASCAR executive Ben Kennedy, who told reporters during a Zoom call on Tuesday, May 6, that superspeedways like Daytona won’t be considered as venues for the season finale.

The announcement follows NASCAR’s decision to start rotating the championship race to different tracks each year, beginning in 2026. Homestead-Miami Speedway will kick off the new system, returning as the title race venue for the first time since 2019. Phoenix Raceway, which has hosted the championship since 2020, is a part of the rotation cycle.

Kennedy explained that NASCAR wants the championship race to reflect the kind of racing the sport is known for. That means short tracks, intermediate tracks, and one-mile ovals are in play. Superspeedways like Daytona and road courses are not.

“Never say never,” Kennedy said (via NBC Sports). “But I think we’ve unanimously agreed it needs to look and feel what we’d expect traditional NASCAR racing to look and feel like. So short tracks, intermediate tracks, mile tracks are all on the board. Superspeedways, I think, we all feel right now we wouldn’t consider that as a championship venue, not that Daytona isn’t a championship-caliber venue.”

The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck shared the update on social media, writing:

“Huge sigh of relief, as @BenKennedy33 nixes the idea that Daytona could be in the championship rotation. No superspeedways or road courses.”

Kennedy added that while Daytona is a world-class track, the nature of superspeedway racing, with pack drafting and unpredictable wrecks, makes it a poor fit for deciding a season title. Road courses were ruled out for similar reasons.

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What factors will NASCAR consider when selecting a championship venue?

Now that Superspeedways and Road Courses are off the table, NASCAR is focusing on more traditional ovals to host its championship race. That rules out popular tracks like Daytona, Talladega, Atlanta, Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Sonoma, Watkins Glen, the Charlotte Roval, and the planned race in Mexico City.

Ben Kennedy explained that the weather is one of the most important factors. The championship race takes place in early November, so the track needs to be in a place with warm or mild weather. Cold-weather areas make it difficult to plan a big race that late in the year.

“As you think about a championship race, ideally a warm weather kind of climate location,” Kennedy shared (via NBC Sports). “You can’t race everywhere in the world, especially in early November, so there’s a handful of venues and properties that we tend to gravitate towards.”

That means tracks like New Hampshire, Michigan, World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis, Richmond, Pocono, Dover, Indianapolis, Iowa, and are not likely to host the finale either. Instead, the sport is looking at places that already host playoff races and meet the right weather and racing style requirements.

Some of the tracks that could be in the rotation include Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval), and Kansas Speedway.