Situated at One Ralph Sanchez, Speedway Blvd, Homestead, FL Homestead-Miami Speedway is a motor track home to many world-renowned racing events. The racetrack is the only one that hosts all the leading motorsports championships in America, and it has been captivating audiences and thrilling drivers since 1995. It is a track that became one of the most essential racing venues in the U.S. quickly after its opening was established. It also happens to be situated near the popular Florida Keys and surrounded by artificial lakes. Read on to learn about its history and why it is considered one of the best racetracks in the country.
The History
The history of Homestead-Miami Speedway is an interesting one. The idea for this motor track has roots in the destruction in 1992 caused by Hurricane Andrew. In an effort to restore the area after the hurricane, Miami businessman, philanthropist, and racing enthusiast Ralph Sanchez presented the idea for a motorsports' facility in September 1992. Groundbreaking started exactly one year after the storm on August 24, 1993.
Instant Success Despite Some Concerns
Homestead-Miami Speedway officially opened for business about two years later in 1995. The racetrack held the popular Xfinity Series races (then known as the Busch Series) at the end of the NASCAR calendar. The venue quickly became very popular, probably not due to the track itself as it had some issues, e.g., it was hard for overtaking and relatively slow. The aspects that made the racetrack so popular were the colorful walls and buildings, so the new facility settled well in the nearby Miami Beach art-deco area. Its proximity to the ocean was also a key factor for its success.
Design Problems
While the racetrack itself quickly became very popular and has been considered to be pleasing from the aesthetics perspective, the actual racing at Homestead was not ideal. The track opened as rectangular-oval, four-turn, based on the layout of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, coincidental providing the fact that Miami Beach and that circuit were developed by Carl G. Fisher. However, because of its relatively shorter distance, Homestead-Miami Speedway track was not able to maintain the racing features of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s flat, sharp turns and aprons made overtaking very challenging and lowered the overall speed of the cars. The geometry of the racing circuit also created certain dangerous crash angles.
Reconfiguration and Improvements
Because of the various design problems combined with an increased risk of severe crashes, the facility decided to reconfigure the layout of the racetrack and make some improvements in 1996. The major improvement done in 1996 was widening the turns by 7 meters. In 1997, the entire racetrack was reconfigured from rectangular to the more traditional oval design with continuous turn. In 2003, the last reconfiguration of the turns was done. It increased the banking from 6 degrees to 18–20 degrees. In 2005, several state-of-the-art lights were installed and Homestead-Miami Speedway finally became suitable for night racing. About 2.5 million watts of power per hour is required to use the lights and illuminate the racetrack.
Key Events
Since the opening in 1995, the main events at this venue have been the NASCAR Series races. All the top three divisions of the series are regular at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but the Spring Cup’s Ford Eco Boost 400 race is certainly the major one because it is one of the final races of the season since 2002.
Apart from the NASCAR Series races, the venue hosts the races of Ferrari Challenge North America as well as the Can-Am Series race. Over the years, this motor track has also hosted many other racing championships, e.g., IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Grand-Am Series, FIA GT Championship, Indy Lights, IndyCar Series, etc.
Getting to Homestead Miami Speedway
Miami has the closest international airport to Homestead-Miami Speedway. It is situated about 30 miles (48.28 km) to the north of the racetrack. Getting there by a car is recommended because of the venue’s proximity to Highway 1. There are several other alternate routes available and most of them are recommended because during the main race weekends, there is a likelihood of traffic jams on the highway. Free parking with a capacity of 30,000 vehicles is available at this 600-acre venue for ticket holders.
If you are taking a group to Homestead to catch the action live, contact East Coast Limousine. We provide charters and transfers from facilities in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.
