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NASCAR’s top-tier series will stage an international event for the first time in over half a century with the announcement that it will head to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.
The new event on the US motorsport series’ 2025 calendar will take place on June 14-15, with the weekend as a whole also incorporating Xfinity Series and Mexico Series races.
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has held Formula 1’s Mexico City Grand Prix since 2015, having been redeveloped for the return of the sport. It also incorporates Estadio GNP Seguros, which has recently undergone renovations to reinforce its credentials as a premier concert and events venue.
The NASCAR Cup Series first competed internationally on July 1, 1952 at Stamford Park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The last Cup Series international points race was on July 18, 1958 at Canadian Exposition Stadium in Toronto. NASCAR also held three exhibition races at Suzuka Circuitland in Suzuka City, Japan from 1996 to 1998.
However, NASCAR officials have been seeking to resume international events as part of broader efforts to refresh the sport’s calendar. Earlier this month, it was announced that Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina will host a NASCAR Cup Series event for the first time in 54 years after plans were set out to switch The Clash from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“This is a historic moment for our sport, and specifically for the NASCAR Cup Series, in being able to expand our footprint to Mexico,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice-president and chief venue and racing innovation officer.
“We’ve been bold about our intentions to grow on a global scale, and there isn’t a better place to take the next step in that journey than at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez road course in Mexico City.”
The new Mexico City event will be promoted by live events and venue operator OCESA through a multi-year contract. “At OCESA, we are dedicated to entertaining people, and this has positioned us as the most powerful live events platform in Mexico and Latin America, as well as one of the most important globally,” said Alejandro Soberón, founder and CEO of OCESA.
“The arrival of the NASCAR Cup Series to our country reflects the significant growth that motorsports has experienced in Mexico, an achievement in which Escudería Telmex has played a major role by promoting the NASCAR Mexico Series and supporting drivers like Daniel Suárez.”
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