GTA 6's Vice City blimp heads to NASCAR's championship at Homestead, then the HEAT's Nov. 18 game
Goodyear says a blimp in a Grand Theft Auto VI livery, made with Rockstar Games, will fly over NASCAR's Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Where else it's due, and what's known.
A Goodyear blimp painted for Grand Theft Auto VI will be over Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend as NASCAR crowns its 2026 champions, less than two weeks before the game comes out. Goodyear confirmed it on Nov. 3, saying the blimp carries a special GTA 6 livery "created in collaboration with Rockstar Games," Heavy reported.
The setting fits. Vice City is GTA 6's version of Miami, and NASCAR's finale is back at Homestead for the first time since 2019, according to Motorsport.com.
What it looks like
Promotional images show a mostly black blimp with Vice City in bright pink along its side, plus Goodyear's name and yellow accents, Heavy says. The Miami Guide identifies it as Wingfoot Three. Goodyear has only three blimps in use in the US, Gfinity Esports reports.
Where it's flying
| Date | Event | Place |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 24 | Pitt at Miami, college football | Hard Rock Stadium |
| Nov. 6 to 8 | NASCAR Championship Weekend | Homestead-Miami Speedway |
| Nov. 18 | A Night in Vice City, HEAT vs. Bucks | Kaseya Center |
Goodyear's statement covers the whole of Championship Weekend. The Miami Guide, which lists the other two flights, gives Sunday, Nov. 8, for Homestead, says the blimp stays in Miami through the end of November and warns that weather, air traffic and other restrictions can change the plan.
All three of NASCAR's national series finish at Homestead: the Craftsman Truck Series on Friday, Nov. 6, the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series on Saturday, Nov. 7, and the Cup Series on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, according to Heavy. Nobody has said whether NBC's coverage will show the blimp.
How it got here
The livery didn't stay secret for long:
- Oct. 12: Gfinity Esports reported it in the air, flying from Ohio to North Carolina.
- Oct. 16: Motorsport.com wrote that Miami residents had spotted it. FanBuzz noticed that Goodyear's blimp website listed its Florida stops under the city "Vice City."
- Oct. 19: Fortune listed it among the pieces of Rockstar's Miami campaign.
- Nov. 3: Goodyear confirmed the Homestead appearance and Rockstar's part in it.
We found no post about it from Rockstar itself, and neither company has said what it cost.
The rest of the Miami campaign
The blimp is one of the bigger items in a long list:
- Miami-Dade's $3.9 million deal with Rockstar, which brings themed lights to the airport and PortMiami;
- the Wynwood Walls murals and the fake-brand billboards;
- real cars made over to look like the game's vehicles, with Leonida plates, which Fortune also lists;
- a free BAYO block party in Little Haiti on Nov. 22.
Separately, the club E11EVEN becomes NINE1NINE for a month from Nov. 6, though its announcement doesn't mention Rockstar. GTA 6 comes out Nov. 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Questions readers ask
- Is the GTA 6 blimp real?
- Yes. Goodyear says a blimp with a special Grand Theft Auto VI livery, created with Rockstar Games, will fly over NASCAR's Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- When can I see the GTA 6 blimp?
- Goodyear says it'll be over Homestead-Miami Speedway during Championship Weekend, Nov. 6 to 8. The Miami Guide lists the flight for race day, Sunday, Nov. 8, and another for the HEAT's A Night in Vice City at Kaseya Center on Nov. 18. Flights can change with the weather.
- Is there a GTA 6 car in the NASCAR race?
- None has been announced that we could find. The tie-in reported so far is the blimp.
- How much did the GTA 6 blimp cost?
- Neither Rockstar nor Goodyear has said.
What did you think?
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