The success of Homestead-Miami Speedway’s Ford Championship Weekend (Nov. 17-19) is a result of the support of many entities around South Florida.
At this year’s event, a total of 40 different local organizations contributed during NASCAR’s three-day championship tradition. Between Homestead-Miami Speedway and Americrown, a catering and concessions company which also is a subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation, more than $120,000 was donated to the organizations for their efforts in areas such as information centers, parking, grandstands, tram services, catering and concessions, among others.
In addition, Homestead-Miami Speedway’s charitable outreach program, Driving for a Cause, joined with two local charitable organizations — Camillus House and Special Olympics of South Florida — for a 50/50 raffle during this year’s Ford Championship Weekend. Collectively, the organizations earned more than $13,000 to benefit their non-profits.
During Ford Championship Weekend, Driving for a Cause awarded grants to local non-profits in the South Florida community for the fifth consecutive year. This year, more than $27,000 in grants were donated to five organizations that support youth development and philanthropic efforts. The 2017 grant winners are Girls Scouts of Tropical Florida, Voices for Children of Broward Country, FMU National Association of Black Journalists, Mexican American Council and Miami South BMX.
“Ford Championship Weekend is the culmination of all the hard work from our staff and our neighboring organizations,” said Matthew Becherer, Homestead-Miami Speedway president. “It’s encouraging to see volunteers give their time during the race, and we were proud to be able to partner with all of them.”
In addition to this year’s donations to volunteer organizations, Homestead-Miami Speedway donates more than $320,000 annually to dozens of South Florida organizations, including track rental opportunities throughout the year, an annual car wash, food drive, holiday toy drive and much more.
Homestead-Miami Speedway has been open since 1995 following an initiative to spur economic recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. The Speedway is a 650-acre facility that features a 1.5-mile oval and 2.21-mile road course. The Speedway hosts on-track events nearly 300 days per year and generates more than $301 million annually for the region. The 2018 Ford Championship Weekend will be Nov. 16-18.
