Homestead-Miami Speedway
Track Data:
Race #: 36 of 36 (11-21-04)
Track Size: 1.5 Mile
Event: Ford 400
Number of Laps: 267
Location: Homestead FL
Length of Event: 400.5 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: 1,760 Feet
Banking in Corners: Varied to 20 degrees
Length of Back Stretch: 1,760 Feet
Banking on Straight-aways: Four degrees
Qualifying Data:
Last year’s event pole winner: Jamie McMurray 181.111 mph 11-14-03 29.816 seconds
Last year’s event winner: Bobby Labonte 116.868 mph 11-16-03 3 hrs, 25 min, 37 sec
Track qualifying record: Jamie McMurray 181.111 mph 11-14-03 29.816 seconds
Track record: Bobby Labonte 116.868 mph 11-16-03 3 hrs, 25 min, 37 sec
Note: Track reconfigured to 6-20 degree variable banking in 2003.
Historical Data:
Previous winners:
Tony Stewart (2) Bill Elliott (1) Kurt Busch (1) Bobby Labonte (1)
Races won from the pole: 2 of 5 events (40%)
Races won from in top 10: 4 of 5 events (80%)
Races won from outside top 10: 1 of 5 events (20%)
Homestead-Miami Speedway Milestones
David Green won the Bud Pole for the inaugural NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Miami, the 1999 Pennzoil 400 presented by Kmart.
Tony Stewart won the inaugural NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Miami, the 1999 Pennzoil 400 presented by Kmart.
The track was reconfigured prior to the 2003 race. The banking in the turns was changed to a graduated tri-level culminating in a 20-degree banking on the outer level.
Manufacturer Update
A Pontiac won the first two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Miami. Pontiac finished 1-2 in the inaugural race and placed three drivers in the top 10. Pontiac also posted three top-10 finishers in the 2000 race. There was just one Pontiac driver in the top-10 in 2001 and none in 2002.
Would You Believe?
Jeff Burton leads all drivers with a 7.00 average finish in five races at Homestead. His best finish has been third, which he has done twice and he has not finished worse than 14th there.
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Active Drivers First and Last at this Track
First Start
Hamilton, Bobby Jr. 11/12/00
First Pole
McMurray, Jammie 11/14/03
First Win
None
Last Pole
Busch, Kurt 11/15/02
McMurray, Jamie 11/14/03
Last Win
Labonte, Bobby 11/16/03
Car Owner Victories at This Track
Joe Gibbs 3
Jack Roush 1
Ray Evernham 1
Totals 5
Homestead-Miami Speedway Background
Homestead-Miami Speedway was built as a 71,763-seat, 434-acre facility located in South Florida, 20 minutes south of Miami International Airport. With its architectural character derived form the art deco buildings of South Beach in Miami, the speedway has gained the reputation as one of the top racing facilities in the world for both fans and competitors alike. Located directly south of the Miami skyline and north of the Florida Keys, the complex sits between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades National Park.
The facility includes a 1.5-mile oval and also included in the complex is 14-turn 2.21 mile road course Ground breaking took place on Aug. 24, 1993, less than one year after the area had been devastated by Hurricane Andrew. The grand opening of the track was held Nov. 3-5, 1995. The inaugural race was named the Jiffy Lube Miami 300 NASCAR Busch Series race and was held on Nov. 5, 1995. Since the inaugural race, the facility has hosted the NASCAR Busch Series finale and the final race of the 2000 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup was held there. The 2002 season was the first triple-championship weekend in NASCAR history with all three of NASCAR’s premiere divisions ending their season at Miami-Homestead. The track was reconfigured prior to the 2003 race with increased banking.
Career- First Victories
Five drivers have had Homestead victories that were their career-first series victories:
Kevin Lepage (NASCAR Busch Series) 1996 Jiffy Lube Miami 300
Dave Rezendes (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) 1997 Florida Dodge Dealers 400
Rick Crawford (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) 1998 Florida Dodge Dealers 400
Mike Wallace (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) 1999 Florida Dodge Dealers 400
Ted Musgrave (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) 2001 Florida Dodge Dealers 400
Tire/Fuel Data
Goodyear Tire Codes: Left-side — TBA; Right-side — TBA
Other NEXTEL Cup Tracks with Same Tire Combination: None
Estimated Pit Window: Every 60-65, based on fuel mileage
Speed Limits: Pit Road – 45 mph; Caution Car – 55 mph
The Money
The posted awards for the Ford 400 are $ 5,130,338.
The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Leader Bonus is worth $70,000 for the Ford 400.
The MBNA Mid-Race Leader Bonus is worth $10,000 for the Ford 400.
Notebook
There have been five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at the Homestead, one per season since the track hosted its inaugural race in 1999.
There have been five different Bud Pole winners in the five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Homestead.
Jamie McMurray is the defending Bud Pole winner for the Ford 400.
There have been four different race winners in the five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Homestead.
Tony Stewart (1999 and 200) is the only driver to score two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories at Homestead.
Bill Elliott, Kurt Busch and Bobby Labonte have each posted one victory at Homestead.
Bobby Labonte is the defending champion of the Ford 400.
The race has been won twice from the Bud Pole at Homestead: Bill Elliott (2001) and Kurt Busch (2002).
Only once has the winner started outside the top-10 at Homestead: Tony Stewart (13th – 2000).
Tony Stewart won the 2000 Pennzoil 400 from the 13th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started at Homestead.
Leading the Way
Tony Stewart is the only driver to lead at least one lap in four of the five races at Homestead. Stewart has led 296 of the 1,335 laps raced in the five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Homestead (22 percent). Teammate Bobby Labonte has led 177 laps at Homestead.
Selected Performance at this Track
Seventy drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Homestead.
Category Leader
Starts 19 Drivers - 5
Poles David Green, Steve Park, Bill Elliott, Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray
Wins Tony Stewart - 2
Top Fives Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin - 3
Top 10s Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte - 4
Laps Led Tony Stewart - 296
DNFs (Races) John Andretti - 3
Average Start (Races) David Green 1.00 (1)
Average Finish (Races) Jeff Burton – 7.00 (5)
Keep on Running
Twelve of 19 drivers that competed in all five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Homestead have been running at the finish in all five races. There have been only 29 DNFs posted in the five races there – 11 in 2003.
