Homestead-Miami Speedway always has been regarded as providing the most entertaining and competitive racing on the NASCAR circuit during Ford Championship Weekend each November. The same thrills will be coming to the South Florida track on Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 14-15 when it hosts the inaugural South Florida SportsCar Challenge.
The weekend will feature a pair of high-energy road racing series with drivers from the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, as well as the Formula & Automobile Racing Association (FARA). During the FARA segment of the event, competitors from different racing classes will put their driving skills to the test on Homestead-Miami Speedway’s modified road course.
Four-time Trans Am champion Ernie Francis Jr., who grew up in Davie, will be competing in the Trans Am portion of the event in the TA class. For the second consecutive year, he will take on a full field of competitors from across the country on Homestead-Miami Speedway’s modified road course.
In 2017, Francis won the TA race at Homestead-Miami Speedway behind the wheel of his Ford Mustang. Francis, 19, also is one of NASCAR’s rising stars and was selected as part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program in 2018. Last year, he made his NASCAR debut in the Johnsonville 180 XFINITY Series race at Road America.
The South Florida SportsCar Challenge will commence on Saturday, Apr. 14, with gates opening at 9 a.m. Trans Am practice and FARA qualifying sessions will run from 9 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. The green flag for Sprint Race 1 of FARA will be waved at 1:25 p.m. Trans Am will then hold qualifying sessions from 2:40 to 4:10 p.m. The day will conclude with the FARA Sunset 300 at 5:10 p.m.
On Sunday, Apr. 15, gates will open at 9 a.m. with Race 1 of Trans Am beginning at 9:20 a.m. FARA will then host its Porsche Challenge at 11 a.m., while Race 2 of Trans Am is scheduled at 2 p.m. The weekend will conclude with Sprint Race 2 of FARA at 3:45 p.m., offering fans more than four hours of racing throughout the day.
Each series will give fans a tremendous opportunity to get an up-close view of the cars and many of the drivers both days with a trip to pit lane prior to the racing. On Saturday, there will be a FARA Fan Walk from 4:10 to 5:10 p.m. Sunday will feature a Trans Am Fan Walk from 1:15 to 1:50 p.m.
Tickets to the South Florida SportsCar Challenge are available for purchase online in advance of the event for $10 each day. Tickets will also be available at the gate on the day of the event for $20 each day. Children age 12 and younger are admitted for free on both days. To purchase tickets online, visit www.HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com. Parking is free all weekend and will be located in the infield of Homestead-Miami Speedway. All fans should enter the facility through the back tunnel, located at Gate 18 off Palm Drive.
For more information on the Trans Am Series, visit www.GoTransAm.com. If you want more information on FARA, visit www.FARAUSA.com.
