It has been a long time since NASCAR Cup Series drivers have raced outside the United States. The last time the sport raced on foreign land was in 1998 when the competition ran an exhibition race in Japan. Recent developments suggest that an international event might be on the cards as soon as 2026.
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Reports suggest Brazil as a prospective venue for the 2026 Busch Light Clash is in the works. The pre-season exhibition race has been held at the LA Memorial Coliseum for three years and perhaps it is time for a change, with the event slowly declining in popularity.
An official meeting was recently attended by Sao Paulo state Tarcísio de Freitas and Mayor of the city Ricardo Nunes. NASCAR’s representative in Brazil Tom Dannemiller was also part of that meeting.
“We are always looking for the best attractions for Sao Paulo that can bring in tourists, as well as attract investment and generate jobs. We have a racetrack that is a reference for the sport and we have everything we need to put on a great event,” Freitas said as per motorsport.com.
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NASCAR’s vice president Chad Seigler also expressed his desire to take the sport to an international stage earlier this year.
“For years we said we want to go outside the U.S. and race, and you’ve seen us move from the messaging of it’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when,” Seigler told motorsport.com.
Sao Paolo boasts of one of the most iconic tracks in the world, Interlagos which could serve as the future venue for the event. NASCAR Regional already has a presence in the country with the Brasil Series racing at the track this weekend. Daniel Suarez was also seen competing in the race. With a strong motorsports following, it would be interesting to see how well stock car racing’s highest echelon is received in the country.
How can a Brazil race help NASCAR’s popularity?
There has only been one Brazilian national who has won races in NASCAR history and that is Nelson Piquet Jr. Son of F1 World Champion Nelson Piquet and a former F1 driver himself, Piquet Jr. has won two races in the Truck Series and one in the Xfinity Series.
Being a part of one of the most iconic families in global motorsports with ties to the current crop of F1 and NASCAR drivers, his alliance could bode well for the sport. With NASCAR already operating in the Brazilian market with the regional Brasil Series, the sport’s highest echelon visiting the country could witness the Piquet family in attendance.
The family’s ties to F1 and the venue also being one shared by the open-wheeled series could help the sport garner new fans from across the globe. Drivers with Hispanic backgrounds such as Daniel Suarez could also play their part in engaging with the community, further boosting the sport’s appeal.
