Since last weekend’s NASCAR Cup race in Mexico City, it seems everyone has an opinion on what NASCAR does for an encore. Does the sanctioning body return to Mexico next year? What about other venues and countries?
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NASCAR analyst and former driver Kyle Petty recently joined host George Howson on Motorsport Reports. Petty agreed with many of his peers that the sport should consider a return encore in Mexico and look north of the border to Canada as well.
While Howson suggested Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal as a possible venue, there are a number of major Canadian markets that are hotbeds for racing, including Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, and even Halifax.
A number of media outlets and personalities also feel that stock car racing should consider a trip overseas, as well. Among countries most frequently mentioned are Europe, India, Japan, Australia, and either Colombia or Brazil in South America, and Petty agrees.
“Obviously, if we’re opening up Mexico, then I think we should take a look at Canada,” Petty said. “I would like to see that. If you go to Michigan (or) Watkins Glen, you’re right along the Canadian border. There’s so many Canadian fans that come over. … So I look at that and I say, Yeah, those are no-brainers to me.”
But Petty isn’t stopping at Canada. Next up on his wish list is for NASCAR to race in Europe.
“I would love to see us land somewhere in Europe, at least once. I’ve been going to Goodwood (in England), places like that. There’s so many NASCAR fans, so many stock car fans, and it’s just a totally different form of racing than Formula One or sports cars or Le Mans and that type of racing,” he added.
“It’s just a totally different form. It’s not better, it’s not worse, it’s just different, that’s just the way it is. It would be interesting to see the type of crowd that we could draw over there.”
“We saw in Le Mans a few years ago (in 2023), these cars can run around actual world endurance championship circuits, so there’s no reason why we can’t say I’d love to see NASCAR in Europe. That’d be awesome,” opined the eight-time Cup Series winner.
Going back to the Mexico race, Petty also told Howson that with the growing Hispanic population in the U.S., particularly immigrants, many newcomers to this country have quickly become NASCAR fans.
He especially noted the impact and attraction of driver Daniel Suarez — the first full-time Cup driver ever from Mexico (he grew up in Monterrey, Mexico) — has had in his country.
“There are a lot of fans right now that come out of Mexico, and a lot of fans that are watching in Mexico,” Petty said. “It’s a huge moment for our sport.” While racing overseas still might be a long way away for the sport to execute, it certainly is on the fraternity’s radar, and Kyle Petty seems the first one on board with the idea.
