Homestead has held a Nextel Cup date since 1999.

Homestead to add lights for season finale

Nextel Cup championship battle will finish during primetime

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- The future of Homestead-Miami Speedway, the excitement of Ford Championship Weekend, and the nightlife in Miami all just became that much brighter.

Lights will be installed at Homestead-Miami Speedway to allow for races to be held at night, announced Speedway President Curtis Gray.

Credit: Getty Images/Rusty Jarrett

Construction on the project is scheduled to begin immediately and be complete in time for the 2005 Ford Championship Weekend, the season finales for the Chase for the Nextel Cup, Busch Series, and Craftsman Truck Series, November 17-20.

The new lights at Homestead-Miami Speedway will allow for later start times and therefore a prime time championship atmosphere at the Speedway's major events beginning with November's Ford Championship Weekend.

Track Page Homestead-Miami

"When one thinks of the greatest championship sporting events around the world, one thinks of prime-time, electric atmospheres," said Gray. "The championship finales for NASCAR's three elite series will now all take place in an unparalleled setting under the lights during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway."

The Nextel Cup Series Ford 400, televised live on NBC, is scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 20 and conclude under the lights.

Following the Ford 400, the 2005 Nextel Cup Champion will be officially crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"NASCAR is a national sport that continues to grow into new markets. The prime time start will allow even more fans to tune in for the finale of the Chase for the Nextel Cup," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ford 200 will also run under the lights with a 8 p.m. scheduled start time on Friday, November 18 and televised live on SPEED.

The start time for the NASCAR Busch Series Ford 300 on Saturday, November 19 is still to be determined and will be released at a later date.

A detailed competition schedule for the entire Ford Championship Weekend will also be released at a later date. All times are tentative and subject to change.

This is the second major renovation the track has undergone -- Homestead was reconfigured with 20-degree variable banking two years ago.