It appears the NASCAR Cup Series could be headed international in 2025.
According to The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, NASCAR is in talks with promoters in both Montreal and Mexico City about possibly bringing the Cup Series to an international audience.
As Bianchi noted, a points race in either city would be the first time a Cup Series points race would be held outside the U.S. since 1958, when Lee Petty took the checkered flag at the Canadian National Exposition Speedway.
The Cup Series’ last foray in international racing occurred in the late 1990’s, though all three events were exhibition races. In 1996 and 1997, NASCAR held exhibitions at the Suzuki Circuit in Japan, while in 1998, the Coca-Cola 500 at Motegi took center stage.
The NASCAR Busch Series last raced internationally in 2012 in Montreal, and also held races in Mexico City from 2005-08. The last race in NASCAR’s top three series to be held internationally was in 2019, when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series held a race at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Ontario.
Sending the Cup Series international for a points race would be huge for NASCAR, as it would likely bring in droves of media attention and new fans to the sport. Such an event would also make for huge TV ratings. As NASCAR found out with the Chicago Street Race in 2023, novelty sells.
While it’s likely only one international race per year could be held due to logistical challenges, the prospect of rotating between Mexico City and Montreal is an interesting one, as keeping the respective races two years apart would ensure plenty of buildup for both NASCAR and the city.
While an international date would come at the expense of the historic Richmond Raceway losing a date, NASCAR fans may have to make peace with losing a short-track race so that the sport has a chance to experience major growth.
Simply put, an international race would be a win-win: Not only would international fans finally get to experience a big-league race close to home, NASCAR would have its best chance in nearly three decades to significantly boost international interest in its product.
