NASCAR Open to Additional International Races Past 2025
In 2025, the Richmond Raceway spring race will be exiled from the NASCAR Cup Series schedule in favor of a race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. The event, which will take place next June, will serve as the first international NASCAR Cup Series points-paying race in 67 years.
It's a big bold step for NASCAR, but are there bolder steps for the sanctioning body to take on the global stage still to come? Ben Kennedy, NASCAR's Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer was asked if NASCAR could be open to multiple international races beyond the 2025 season. Kennedy didn't shy away from the possibility.
"Yeah, I think so," Kennedy answered in a media Zoom conference. "You know, I think as we talk about all of these changes we've made to the schedule. We're going to new markets, we're going to new venues. Some of these events, we're promoting ourselves. Some of these events, like this one, we're going to have partners and promoters that are going to be putting it on. As you think about international expansion, this is certainly a big move for us. It's a bold move for our sport. Certainly comes with a lot of bandwidth and resources."
Mexico City is a bold move, but its an important one long term for the overall sport. Kennedy did temper international expectations by underscoring that there are no defined plans for expansion in the future, but that NASCAR is focused on pulling off an incredible event in Mexico City.
"It remains to be seen what the future of our international plans look like, but I can tell you for now, the next 10 months we're going to be really focused on making this an incredible event," Kennedy said.
If the Mexico City race is a success, expect additional international countries to start getting a taste of the American Stock Car experience.
Toby Christie is the Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. He has 15 years of experience as a motorsports journalist and has been with Racing America since 2023.