The Cup Series heads back to Florida, this time to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Straight Talk 400. Here is all the information needed before Cup cars hit the track.
NASCAR Cup Series Homestead-Miami Speedway Preview, Predictions, and How To Watch
Homestead-Miami Speedway and the Straight Talk 400 move from the third to final race of the season to the sixth race of the 2025 season. Last years race was an all time great with Tyler Reddick out driving Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin to lock himself into the championship race. While this year we won’t have a big playoffs moment, we will surely see a great race and maybe a great finish.
Race Preview: The Straight Talk 400
The Straight Talk 400 is a 400 mile, 267-lap race around the 1.5 mile Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Stages are on laps 80, 165, and the final lap is lap 267.
Cup Series Points Standings:
Here are the top-ten in points following Las Vegas:
1. William Byron: 207
2. Christopher Bell: 178
3. Tyler Reddick: 159
4. Chase Elliott: 159
5. Alex Bowman: 156
6. Kyle Larson: 152
7. Ryan Blaney: 143
8. Joey Logano: 136
9. Chris Buescher: 133
10. Ross Chastain: 128
The Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Built in 1993 and opened in 1995, the Homestead-Miami Speedway is a 1.5-mile progressively banked oval track. With 18 degrees on the bottom line and 20 degrees against the fence, Homestead is a fan and driver’s favorite track, ripping the fence and the options with grooves, gives fans exciting options.
Cup began racing at the speedway in 1999. Tony Stewart won the first two races at Homestead, in 1999 and 2000. Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin, and Stewart are tied for the all-time wins record, all with three. Kevin Harvick holds the track record, a 31.52 second lap, set in 2019.
Drivers to Watch:
Kyle Larson is looking to make history this weekend. He is racing all three series this weekend, taking home the victory in the Truck Series on Friday. If he can win in both Xfinity and Cup next, he will join Kyle Busch as the only drivers to sweep all three races in a weekend. But he needs to be flawless in the race. Last year, while making a green flag pitstop, Larson hit the sand barrels at the entrance to pit-road. He rallied back to 13th but a disappointing day for a contender to win.
READ MORE: Kyle Larson Rallies Late to Win Truck Series Race at Homestead
Tyler Reddick wants to join Christopher Bell as a winner for Toyota in 2025. Reddick won this race last year in exciting fashion, beating Blaney and Hamlin on the last lap in the final turn. Christopher Bell was the 2023 winner of this race, and wants to make up for a lack luster Vegas run. Look for these two Toyota drivers on Sunday.
Ford has not won here in the Next-Gen Car. Ryan Blaney has consistently been the fastest Ford here in the next-gen era, with an average start of 14.3 and a finish of 7, with two second place finishes in the last two. Expect Blaney to want to get the monkey off his back and score a win here.
How to Watch the Straight Talk 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway:
The Straight Talk 400 begins with practice and qualifying on Saturday, March 22nd. Practice begins at 1:00 PM Eastern time, coverage is on Amazon Prime. Qualifying will follow after, beginning at 2:10 PM Eastern, staying on Prime. The Straight Talk 400 will start at 3:00 PM Eastern on Sunday, March 23rd, coverage is located on Fox Sports 1.
Stay Connected with Last Word on Motorsports to see all the exciting action from Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Featured Image Credit: James Gilbert, Getty Images. 10/27/24
