Homestead-Miami Speedway: History

Homestead-Miami Speedway:

History

·        Groundbreaking for Homestead-Miami Dade Motorsports Complex – as the track was originally named – began Aug. 24, 1993.

·        The first race held at Homestead-Miami Speedway was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Nov. 5, 1995 – won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett.

·        The original configuration was a four-turn, rectangular oval based on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's layout.

·        The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at HMS was held on Nov. 14, 1999 – won by Tony Stewart.

·        2002 was the first season of the “Championship Weekend” at HMS, with all three of NASCAR’s national series holding their season finale at the same track.

Notebook

·        Since the inception of the position-based points system in 1975, only four drivers have made up a points deficit in the season finale: Richard Petty in 1979 (made up two points on Darrell Waltrip), Alan Kulwicki in 1992 (made up 30 points on Davey Allison), Jimmie Johnson in 2010 (made up 15 points on Denny Hamlin) and Tony Stewart in 2011 (made up three points on Carl Edwards). Note: Stewart’s comeback is the only one made under the current one-point-per-position structure.

·        There have been 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Homestead-Miami Speedway, one per season since 1999.

·        110 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at HMS; 87 in more than one.

·        Four drivers have started all 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at HMS: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte.

·        David Green won the first Coors Light pole at Homestead in 1999 with a speed of 155.759 mph (34.669 sec.).

·        There have been 10 different Coors Light pole winners, led by Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne with two each.

·        Youngest HMS pole winner: Joey Logano (11/18/2012 – 22 years, 5 months, 25 days).

 

·        Oldest HMS pole winner: Bill Elliott (11/11/2001 – 46 years, 1 month, 3 days).

·        Jamie McMurray (November 2003) and David Reutimann (November 2008) won their first career Coors Light poles at HMS.

·        There have been nine different NASCAR Sprint Cup race winners at HMS, three have won more than once, led by Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart with three each. Carl Edwards (two)is the only other driver with multiple wins at Homestead.

·        Of the three drivers with multiple wins at HMS, Tony Stewart is the only driver to win in two different manufacturers: Pontiac (1999, 2000) and Chevrolet (2011).

·        Two of the 14 (14.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at HMS have been won from the Coors Light pole: Bill Elliott (2001) and Kurt Busch (2002).

·        Five of the 14 (35.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at HMS have been won from the front row: two from the pole and three from second place.

·        Nine of the 14 (64.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at HMS have been won from a starting position inside the top 10.

·        Denny Hamlin won the 2009 race from the 38th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

·        Two drivers have won consecutive races at HMS: Tony Stewart (1999, 2000 and 2012) and Greg Biffle (2004-2006).

·        Carl Edwards leads the series in average finish at HMS with a 6.0; only two other drivers have an average finish inside the top 10: Kevin Harvick (7.9) and Martin Truex Jr. (9.8).

·        Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at HMS with seven, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing with four.

·        Youngest HMS winner: Kurt Busch (11/17/2002 – 24 years, 3 months, 13 days).

·        Oldest HMS winner: Bill Elliott (11/11/2001 – 46 years, 1 month, 3 days).

·        Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick lead the series in runner-up finishes at HMS with two each.  

·        Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at HMS with seven; followed by Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick with five each.

·        Eight of the nine NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who have won at HMS participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Tony Stewart (1999) is the only driver to win at the track in his first appearance.

·        Jeff Gordon competed at HMS 13 times before winning (2012); the longest span of any the nine winners.

·        Bobby Labonte and Jeff Burton lead the series with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at HMS without visiting Victory Lane with 14.

·        Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at HMS is the (4/10/2010) race won by Greg Biffle with a MOV of 0.017 seconds.

·        Danica Patrick will have the opportunity to become the first female driver to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at HMS this weekend.