NASCAR is set to embark on a monumental journey with the addition of the Mexico City Cup race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the 2025 season. This pivotal decision marks a significant step toward the series’ long-term plans for international expansion. The undertaking will require immense logistics, particularly as approximately 80 haulers will be driving over 2,000 miles from Michigan International Speedway to Mexico City.
The excitement surrounding this announcement can’t be overstated, especially considering NASCAR hasn’t held a points-paying championship event outside of the United States since 1958. The last time the Cup Series raced internationally can be traced back over 25 years.
Prior to this groundbreaking announcement, NASCAR had been mulling over a potential race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal and had ambitions to extend its reach into Brazil as well. This illustrates NASCAR’s keen interest in widening its audience and fan base beyond the U.S. shores.
Daniel Suarez stands as NASCAR’s premier international driver, having clinched the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship while also claiming victories across all three national divisions. However, the list of international drivers who have won at NASCAR’s highest level remains exceedingly small. The ranks of international races are even slimmer, as we consider the few tracks outside the U.S. that have hosted NASCAR events through the years.
Historically, NASCAR’s first venture outside the United States occurred on July 1, 1952, during an unnamed 100-mile race at Stamford Park in Niagara Falls, Canada. Although the Ontario half-mile dirt track had a rich history dating back to its opening in 1923, it would close just one year after NASCAR’s visit. Nicknamed a ‘car killer,’ the track lived up to its reputation as only three of the 17 starters finished the grueling 200-lap race. Buddy Sherman captured the victory in his ’52 Hudson, averaging a speed of 45.610 mph, finishing two laps ahead of NASCAR Hall of Famer Herb Thomas. Remarkably, this was Sherman’s only win in the Cup Series.
Then, on July 18, 1958, NASCAR returned to Canada for the Jim Mideon 500, held at the now-demolished Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. This asphalt oval, with a length of just 0.333 miles, bore a striking resemblance to Bowman Gray Stadium. Lee Petty emerged victorious after leading 29 of the 100 laps, finishing the race, which lasted only 46 minutes.
Yet perhaps more significantly, this race marked the inception of legendary driver Richard Petty’s career in NASCAR, as he made his debut in this event. The 21-year-old son of Lee Petty began what would become a remarkable journey in NASCARS’s annals, though he was wrecked out early on due to a mishap involving his father.
Fast forward to 1988, when NASCAR made an unprecedented shift, holding a non-points race at Calder Park Thunderdome in Melbourne, Australia. On February 28 of that year, NASCAR staged the Goodyear NASCAR 500, which stretched over 280 laps. This event further solidified NASCAR’s pursuit of international opportunities, breaking new ground by traveling all the way to the Southern Hemisphere.
The race featured several prominent figures from the Australia/New Zealand motorsport scene, including Bathurst 1000 champions Dick Johnson, Jim Richards, and Allan Grice. However, it was NASCAR’s Neil Bonnett who claimed victory, leading the field ahead of fellow competitor Bobby Allison in an Alabama Gang 1-2 finish. Consequently, this event laid the foundation for NASCAR Australia, which thrived from 1989 to 2002.
In the following decade, NASCAR shifted its gaze to Japan. The first exhibition race at the renowned Suzuka Circuit took place on November 24, 1996. The race attracted attention from Japanese racing legends and generated considerable excitement. Rusty Wallace emerged victorious, besting Dale Earnhardt in an electrifying finish after leading 84 of the 100 laps.
The success of the Suzuka race prompted another visit in 1997, although rain posed a significant challenge. For many NASCAR drivers competing that day, it was an unfamiliar experience racing in wet conditions. Mike Skinner ultimately secured victory in that second event, narrowly defeating Mark Martin.
NASCAR’s foray into Japan continued for a third consecutive year in 1998 at the Twin Ring Motegi, where oval racing reignited fan enthusiasm. The Coca-Cola 500, held on November 22, had both Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. competing against each other in Cup cars for the first time ever. In a thrilling battle that culminated down to the final laps, Jeff Gordon and Mike Skinner went head-to-head, with Gordon seeking to run down Skinner for the win but falling just short as the checkered flag waved after 201 laps.
Following the Japan races, NASCAR’s international ambitions appear to have faced significant hurdles. Cup cars have not returned to race outside of the U.S. in nearly 27 years since that November day in 1998. However, there have been opportunities for NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and Truck Series to race in Mexico City and Canada.
In more recent years, NASCAR has established international divisions, allowing for stock car racing to flourish in Mexico, Brazil, and Europe. The prominence of international talent remains strong, exemplified by Daniel Suarez’s historic achievement in 2016 as the first foreign-born driver to win a national-level title. Additionally, in 2023, New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen made headlines by winning his debut Cup Series race at the Chicago Street Course, becoming the first driver in over six decades to achieve such a feat. Furthermore, during the 2022 season, NASCAR reached a milestone when seven different countries were represented in a single Cup race at Watkins Glen.
Looking ahead, NASCAR’s inclusion of the Mexico City Cup race signals a renewed commitment to international expansion. As the series prepares to race in Mexico, it will mark not only a historic occasion but potentially the dawn of a new era in NASCAR racing for the country. This leap demonstrates NASCAR’s determination to engage with and grow its global community, echoing its longstanding commitment to the spirit of motorsport on a worldwide stage.
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