Manufacturer and Team News for Homestead-Miami Raceway

By Roy J. Akers — www.Skyviewsports.net

Miami, Fla. –Championship weekend colors, vendors, and ,fantastic events are plannedforfans this weekend and the manufacturers and teams are ready for fans to have a great time.

Justin Allgaier — Points leader, No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet: Allgaier heads to the championship finale with a 22-point advantage and a season-long statistical résumé to match. Through 32 races, the veteran leads the series in victories with a career-high six, top-five finishes with 19 and top-10 finishes with 23, underscoring the speed and consistency that powered his regular season championship. He also returns as Homestead’s defending series winner following his overtime triumph in March 2025—a breakthrough that marked his first top-five finish in 17 starts at the South Florida oval. With a proven winning performance at the track and the championship lead in hand, Allgaier will look to cap his standout season with a second career series title.

Jesse Love — Second, 22 points behind, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet: The defending series champion heads to Homestead with a key strength beyond the cockpit: his No. 2 pit crew, who are ranked first in the series and played a pivotal role in his championship-winning performance a year ago. Love’s 2026 Chase, which included two trips to victory lane and four-straight podium appearances, has put him firmly in contention for back-to-back titles. At Martinsville, a brake failure and late-race crash relegated him to a 30th-place finish, leaving him 22 points behind Justin Allgaier entering the finale. Love returns to Homestead after a points-earning effort in both stages and a sixth-place result in the March 2025 race. He’ll look to combine that track experience with his team’s pit road execution to become the series’ first repeat champion since Tyler Reddick in 2018–2019.

Corey Day — Third, 23 points behind, No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet: Day may be preparing for his first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Homestead, but the rookie has already demonstrated championship-caliber speed on 1.5-mile tracks this season. At Las Vegas in October, he converted the pole into a victory, leading 136 of 201 laps and prevailing in a late-race battle with fellow title contender Carson Kvapil. Day followed that performance with another victory at Charlotte, where he led 55 of 200 laps to give the No. 17 Chevrolet team consecutive wins on 1.5-mile ovals during The Chase. While neither track is an exact match for Homestead, those performances provide a strong foundation as Day looks to erase a 23-point deficit and cap his rookie campaign with his first series championship.

Carson Kvapil — Fourth, 31 p oints behind, No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet: Kvapil heads to Homestead with renewed championship momentum after delivering a clutch victory at Martinsville. The 23-year-old won the pole, led a race-high 121 of 250 laps and held off teammate Justin Allgaier by 0.434 seconds to collect his third victory of the season. That performance moved him from fifth to fourth in the standings and trimmed his deficit from 59 points to 31 entering the finale. While his Homestead experience is limited, Kvapil has demonstrated front-running speed on another 1.5-mile oval during The Chase, finishing second at Las Vegas after a thrilling late-race battle with fellow championship contender Corey Day. That combination of intermediate-track competitiveness and a pressure-packed Martinsville victory gives the No. 1 Chevrolet team an extra boost as they pursue their first championship.

Sheldon Creed — Fifth, 42 points behind, No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet: Back in the Chevrolet camp following Haas Factory Team’s manufacturer switch this season, Creed remains mathematically eligible for a shot at the crown after finishing sixth at Martinsville. Creed brings a strong collection of 1.5-mile track performances into the championship finale, including a runner-up finish at Kansas, a third-place finish at Las Vegas in the spring and Charlotte in October, and a sixth-place result at Texas. His Charlotte performance highlighted both his speed and resilience, as the No. 00 Chevrolet team overcame early contact with the outside wall that required damage repair before Creed rallied to a podium finish. The 2020 Truck Series champion will look to draw on that intermediate track experience as he pursues his first O’Reilly Series championship.

SPIRE MOTORSPORTS SUSPENDS CARSON HOCEVAR FOR
NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND

 
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – (Nov.  3, 2026) – Spire Motorsports has suspended Carson Hocevar for this weekend’s NASCAR Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Justin Haley will drive the No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

“A decision like this has a lot of variables and a cascading effect across an organization like ours,” said Jeff Dickerson, co-owner of Spire Motorsports. “The easy thing would have been to leave this in NASCAR’s hands and let them decide what any penalty should be. To us, however, this isn’t about money or points. We believe in respect. Our integrity matters. This is the right decision for Spire Motorsports.

“Everyone here loves working with Carson, and we’ve enjoyed watching him thrive alongside our team. Sometimes the right decision for someone you care about hurts in the short term. The way Carson conducted himself at Martinsville doesn’t meet the standard we set for our drivers, team members or employees, and there are consequences for that. That doesn’t mean we don’t love him and support him.

“Racing at the Cup level is a privilege, and it comes with an expected level of professionalism from everyone who represents Spire Motorsports. We’ll go to Homestead united and compete as an organization. After that, we can get ready for Daytona in February with the right mindset to contend for a championship.”