The future of the championship weekend is a constant topic of discussion among racing fans and members of the industry. NASCAR has now weighed in and explained that rotating the location of this weekend is going to be a priority in the future.
NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O'Donnell provided the insight while discussing the playoff changes that could occur before next season. The format of the playoffs will be under the spotlight, as will the points awarded to the drivers and the location of one of the biggest races.
"It's not lost on me, and I think it's more complicated than just waving a quick checkered flag and saying, 'Let's move the championship,'" O'Donnell said during the first episode of "Hauler Talk," a new podcast from NASCAR.
"But I do think a rotation is going to be very important for us. It has not happened yet."
O'Donnell continued and said that having one driver win "45 championship races" in a row would not be a good look for the sport, which would prompt a decision to move the location. He added that Phoenix has provided a variety of winners since the championship events moved to the 1-mile track in 2020.
To this point, Chase Elliott won the first Cup championship race at Phoenix. Kyle Larson followed in 2021. Joey Logano won in 2022 and 2024. Ryan Blaney finished second in the race in 2023 but won the title.
"We've had good mixture, which has been great," O'Donnell said. "Which maybe says that Phoenix is a good race track, but I think a rotation is what the fans would like."
NASCAR is willing to move the championship race to other locations after the 2025 season, but where will it go? Will Homestead-Miami Speedway take center stage again or will a new venue join in on the action?
O'Donnell isn't sharing any secrets about future locations, nor is he listing any tracks that may be on his wishlist. He just wants to go wherever NASCAR can put on a good show for the fans.
"The biggest thing for us is having the championship atmosphere around that community as well," O'Donnell added.
The COO did acknowledge that a superspeedway is unlikely after drivers and teams weighed in on the discussion. He added that road courses and street courses could just be a little tough. This leaves the majority of oval tracks, some of which will be dependent on the weather.
Not that the championship weekend has to take place under sunny skies and in 75-degree temperatures. Racing fans proved during the Clash weekend at Bowman Gray Stadium that they will show up en masse even when it's 40 degrees and cloudy.
Having the fans show this dedication opens up so many more opportunities for NASCAR as it examines rotating championship weekend. Places such as Kansas Speedway and Darlington Raceway become options.
Regardless of where NASCAR takes the championship race in future seasons, the hope is that the passionate fans will show up and watch as the best drivers in the series battle for its biggest prize.