NASCAR
Stratta’s Six: Who Can Find the Right Balance at Homestead?
One of NASCAR’s quirkiest, most unique tracks is up next for Cup Series competitors–Homestead-Miami Speedway. The south Florida mile-and-a-half has earned a reputation as a favorite track for many drivers up and down the grid. Progressive banking, climate, and the track’s shape are all elements that make Homestead its own distinct challenge. As always, some drivers are circled when heading to the 305. Here’s a few who hope to end Sunday partying in South Beach.
Kyle Larson
One of few guarantees in NASCAR is that Kyle Larson will be the overwhelming prerace favorite at Homestead. Spoken ad nauseam for years, Homestead fits Larson’s driving style like a glove. Despite only one Cup victory here, driver 5 leads all drivers ever with 626 laps out front. Homestead 2022 for Larson was one of the most dominant races seen in recent NASCAR memory, with 199 circuits led. After running into issues trying to replicate this feat the last two years, Larson hopes for a better outcome this weekend.
“I love racing at Homestead,” Larson said. “It’s definitely one of my top-three favorite tracks. I’ve been able to find a line near the wall that for the most part I am comfortable with. Hopefully we can have some solid results for HendrickCars.com this weekend in all three series.”
As he referenced above, Larson will be anything but short of track time this weekend. He will run the Truck and Xfinity races in addition to Sunday, going after a rare triple sweep attempt. More experience than the rest of the field in all three series will have Larson pegged as an odds-on favorite each day. Larson may be racing with a chip on his shoulder too, having lost Las Vegas on ill-timed strategy. Whether in the No. 07, the 17, or the 5, the HendrickCars colors will likely be up front a lot.
Ryan Blaney
Making his 11th Homestead start on Sunday, none have been closer to a Next Gen win here but struck out than Ryan Blaney. The 12 has been runner-up for two-straight years, and lost 2024’s race in heartbreaking fashion. After Blaney left the top lane open on the last lap, Tyler Reddick stormed on by for the win and a Championship 4 berth. A rare mistake from the 2023 Cup champion, Blaney relived that tough loss and looks forward to getting this one back.
“Last year, that was driver error of not doing my job on the last lap,” Blaney said. “You just try to look back on those things as far as that scenario of what would I do different. But as far as our approach of the car and things like that, I think we’ve done a really good job the last two years. It’s just a matter of trying to keep putting yourself in position to win that race. I’d like to win there. That’s a tough place to win at and we’ve had a good shot the last two years. We just need to put it together.”
Not known as a Homestead rim rider like Larson, Blaney has been able to make time in other lines. Having terminal issues the last two weeks, Blaney hopes a rebound puts the 12 up front at Homestead. Of all drivers without a win here, Blaney has the best odds. In each of the last two years, Larson’s blunders gave the 12 the top spot. Should Larson run into more troubles, Blaney may be right there once again.
Tyler Reddick
Last fall’s heroic last lap at Homestead put an exclamation point on 2024 for Tyler Reddick. This win sent the 23XI Racing driver into his first Championship 4. On older tires, Reddick committed to running the fence for the last two corners and never lifted, getting the spot over Ryan Blaney.
A 2022 crash is Reddick’s only blemish on an otherwise stellar Homestead career, with four top-fives. Reddick also won both of his consecutive Xfinity Series titles here, ripping the boards unlike anyone else. Already boasting back-to-back Homestead trophies on Saturdays, can Reddick repeat this on Sunday? Reddick should be one of the few who challenge Larson across 400 miles.
William Byron
Largely overshadowed by teammate Larson, William Byron has put up his own impressive Homestead résumé. Including the 2021 win here, the 24’s only been worse than ninth once since 2019. In addition, Byron has already become arguably the most consistent driver in 2025. Entering Homestead atop the points, a banner day could be ahead for this team. Byron believes his team may gain some advantage from a Charlotte tire test earlier this week.
“Homestead is one of my favorite tracks and Rudy’s all-time favorite,” Byron said. “It’s been a bit frustrating the last couple years. We’ve run in the top five but it’s been a while since we dominated. I think the mid-week test will help though, to give us some more intermediate notes since the tires are close. I think the racing at Homestead in the spring will be better as well. I’m excited to see how it goes.”
Now leading the regular season standings by 29 points, Byron’s only seen one result worse than sixth this year. Being the lone driver with laps out front through all five weeks is another feather in the 24’s cap. Similarly to Las Vegas, Homestead may come down to a 24 vs. 5 battle in its closing laps.
Christopher Bell
Currently in a dogfight with Byron for the regular season title is Christopher Bell. Las Vegas did see his three-race win streak come to an end. Bell still led all of Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota, however, with a 12th-place run after battling back all day. Homestead could be a return to very familiar winning form for Bell, having a win here from 2023. Despite that victory and a top-five last year, Bell admits he’s still struggled at mastering Homestead.
“It seems like the last couple of years, the track has opened up a little bit more to have pace in different lanes,” Bell said. “But definitely running the top at Homestead, specifically being right on the wall, it takes a very unique driving style and it seems like people who figure it out are able to duplicate it over and over and over again and be fast every time we go there. It doesn’t matter which car.”
“It seems like the technique, to me, is to back your entry up and really focus on your mid-corner speed and your exit speed. For whatever reason, that style has never been my forte. I typically excel on entry speed and Homestead, whenever you get up next to the wall, it doesn’t reward that. You really have to focus on backing up your corner, getting off the corner early. That is something that I’ve tried to emulate, a lot, throughout my Xfinity career being the championship race. I’ve watched hours and hours and hours of in-car footage. Then when I got in the Cup Series, I watched SMT data of what the guys that are really successful at running the wall there, what they do. It is very clear what they do, compared to me. But it has been a struggle for me to be able to emulate that lap style. You go to any other race track, pretty much on the calendar, I’m super successful at running the top. I can do it my own way, but at Homestead, it seems like that backed-up entry, early back to the gas, is the technique. For whatever reason, my style has not clicked with that yet.”
The historic run of consecutive wins may be over for Bell. An intermediate is the one track type they did not capture though. Bell still holds a great chance ahead at taking another checkered flag on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin
Tied as Homestead’s all-time winningest Cup driver with three checkered flags, Denny Hamlin eyes a fourth trophy. Despite the winning highs here, Homestead has also led to equal heartbreaks for Hamlin. If not for a steering belt failure here in 2022, Hamlin would be perfect in Next Gen top-10s here. That rare parts failure, alas, led to him being eliminated from title contention, just like October’s last two laps.
Entering race weekend debuting a new primary sponsor, can Hamlin return to victory lane? If the 11 stays in one piece, he should have pace and experience to contend. Homestead could be the start of a springboard for the 11 team, with a lot of great tracks ahead on the horizon.
Moved up to one of its earliest spots ever on the NASCAR calendar, a spring break trip to Homestead is a rare sight. Who can conquer this track in completely different conditions than the typical fall? Sunday’s winner of the Straight Talk Wireless 400 (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will earn a coveted trophy from one of NASCAR’s most beloved venues.
Written by Peter Stratta
Be sure to follow us on Twitter/X
Be sure to follow the writer on Twitter/X
Photo Credits to James Gilbert/Getty Images
