The Championship Weekend has been one of the most emotional moments in NASCAR for fans as well as drivers.
Homestead-Miami is the one track that is known for holding a special position in the hearts of most folks attached to NASCAR. Some of the finest championship finales came on this track.
However, after 18 years, when NASCAR announced moving the final race from Homestead-Miami to Phoenix, it did not sit right with most. On May 6, NASCAR released a ‘Back to the Future’ parody starring Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski to announce the championship weekend’s return to Homestead-Miami.
After hearing the news, seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson put up a heartfelt post on his X handle.
The Best Championship Finals at Homestead-Miami
From 2002 to 2019, Homestead-Miami has served as the host of more than a few epic final NASCAR races.
As for Johnson, he won the championship for the first time on the track in 2006. While his performance was not a textbook glory chase, it was a safe, strategic run that earned him his first of many NASCAR Cup Series titles.
The 2004 finale was another example of a thrilling race. Kurt Busch, who won the title that year, was a tire down midway through the race.
In the very first year of the NASCAR playoffs format, Greg Biffle won the last race. However, Busch held the top spot in terms of championship points and won the title by a margin of just eight points.
Next on the list is the 2011 battle between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards. Stewart’s performance in the race marked one of the greatest NASCAR comebacks of all time.
Firstly, Stewart did not win any races in the regular schedule, and all five of his wins came in the playoffs. Plus, early setbacks in the race put him in 40th place early on. Stewart then climbed the ladder and ultimately valiantly won the race.
Then, it was the 2016 competition when Johnson won the title for the seventh time. Owing to a technical penalty, Johnson started last in the race.
Although Johnson started slow and ran with a conservative strategy early on, he capitalized on a late advantage. After Joey Logano and Carl Edwards wrecked in the final few laps, NASCAR called for a last-minute restart.
In the last three laps, Johnson took a pass at Kyle Larson and clinched the title.
Jimmie Johnson’s Post After NASCAR’s Homestead-Miami Announcement
Alongside the video of Busch and Keselowski, on May 6, NASCAR put an image on its X handle with all the drivers who won their title at Homestead-Miami.
Legends have been cemented at @HomesteadMiami.
Who’s up next in 2026? pic.twitter.com/YndjhjTWIk
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 6, 2025
Upon learning about the 2026 Championship Weekend, many drivers as well as fans were delirious. Among them was Johnson, who reposted the initial tweet, and in the caption, he wrote:
“I’m excited to see the championship return to a place that’s been a defining part of my legacy.”
His post gained over 51,000 views and drew comments from several fans. One user wrote, “The 2016 championship race here to make you 7x was the most exciting sports fan moment I have ever had.”
READ: Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club Celebrates Historic NASCAR Breakthrough at Texas
Another user called for Johnson’s return to the championship for yet another season, saying, “Run one more full-time season. I bet you can make a playoff run!”