Despite the week-long brush fire battle in South Miami-Dade, the flames are not stopping a triple-header of NASCAR racing. This weekend’s event at the Homestead-Miami Speedway is still set to go on despite the flames having burned over 26,000 acres, about 30% of which has been contained. “ The show absolutely goes on. We’re set. We’re ready. The fire department, the forestry service, everybody has done a magnificent job fighting these fires. So at no point were we worried. We were concerned to the point of keep an eye on it,” said Homestead Track President Guillermo Santa Cruz. Event officials were seen working on preparations for the big event. Two Cup drivers have had success on the 1.5-mile speedway, including Denny Hamlin, who has three wins here. “You know, luck is something that is a factor. It’s, you know, it’s not the main factor, and I feel as though, you know, we’re going to put ourselves in position to be contenders on Sunday,” said Hamlin. Christopher Bell comes in winning three of the first five Cup races. Bell won at Homestead in 2023. “And then a huge, huge win in 2023 to lock into the final four. So it’s a, I have a love-hate relationship with it. That place was littered with heartbreak for me through the early part of my career,” said Bell. Some local drivers will also take part in Saturday’s Xfinity race. Hollywood’s Brad Perez will drive the 45 Florida International University car. “The first time I went to the Homestead Speedway, I was like 5. It was in 2002, and I fell in love with the sport. Honestly, without this place, I probably wouldn’t even be here right now,” said Perez. Another local, Homestead’s Nick Sanchez will race in the 48 Spiked Coolers car. “The first race at Homestead-Miami Speedway when I was 5. So, you know, this is where I fell in love with the sport. So to come back here and compete in it, it’s just amazing,” said Sanchez. With the brush fire in mind, event officials want guests to keep an eye out for road restrictions. “Certainly, if you’re coming up from the Keys, stay on top of it, because they’ve been closing cars down intermittently the last couple of days,” said Cruz. “If you’re coming south, you’re probably going to have less issues. In South Florida, check traffic, but everything should be good.” The event kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. with the Truck Series race. Then, Saturday will feature the Ford Xfinity 300 race at 4 p.m., and Sunday, the main event will be the 400 NASCAR Cup race at 3 p.m. Miami Dolphins’ outside linebacker Bradley Chubb will be the Grand Marshal, and he will be in charge of calling out commands such as, “Gentlemen, start your engines!” It is set to be a great weekend of racing. ...read more read less