The NASCAR playoffs are “back in Dade County” for today's Dixie Vodka 400 after a two-year hiatus, where seven drivers will be “vying to clinch a spot in the Championship 4.” Homestead-Miami Speedway once again has a “major race to sell to local, casual fans” and NASCAR has one of the “world’s hottest markets to help spotlight one of its biggest weekends of the year.” Driver Aric Almirola said, “For our sport it’s so important to be down here.” The location “fits right in with NASCAR’s desire to find a more diverse, sustainable audience.” The track is a “fan and driver favorite because of the close finishes, and comebacks, it creates" (MIAMI HERALD, 10/21).