The NASCAR Cup Series has not competed outside the United States for a points race in more than a quarter-century and has not taken part in a points-paying championship event abroad since 1958.
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However, as an expansion attempt, NASCAR has added the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City to its 2025 Cup schedule, marking the first time in nearly three decades that the series will venture internationally for a race.
However, NASCAR’s international presence isn’t a new development. The organization has broadened its global footprint through several international series, such as the NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Euro Series, and NASCAR Brasil Series. These series are instrumental in cultivating local talent and expanding NASCAR’s reach worldwide.
Drivers like Daniel Suarez, who entered the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017 and occasionally still competes in the Mexico Series, are products of this international pipeline, showcasing the global nature of the sport’s talent pool.
The NASCAR Canada Series, which typically runs from May through September, spans five provinces and features a mix of ovals, road courses, and dirt tracks, solidifying its status as NASCAR’s national series in Canada.
Broadcasted on TSN and RDS, the series has been a stepping stone for drivers like D.J. Kennington, Gary Klutt, and Andrew Ranger, who have graduated to the highest echelons of NASCAR.
Previously known as Desafío Corona from 2004 to 2006, the NASCAR Mexico Series is the premier motor racing competition in Mexico, organized by NASCAR and Jimmy Morales. The series showcases cars with tubular chassis and bodies crafted from aluminum and plastic, designed to resemble production car models.
Competing under the banner of the NASCAR Mexico Series are two distinct categories: NASCAR Mexico and NASCAR Challenge. Although both divisions use the same car specifications, they are treated as separate championships.
Suarez, now making waves in the NASCAR Cup Series, was a contender in the Mexico Series, amassing ten victories before joining the American NASCAR racing.
The NASCAR Euro Series, established in 2008 and featuring four races over two days, primarily utilizes V8-powered stock cars. While it predominantly focuses on oval tracks with varying degrees of banking, the Euro Series distinctively conducts most of its races on road courses, a tradition since its inception in 2009.
Switching gears to Brazil, the NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, previously known as GT Sprint Race, embraced a new chapter by securing official NASCAR-sanctioning status starting in the 2023 season. The shift also included plans to introduce oval race tracks to its schedule, broadening the series’ scope.
With the inclusion of Mexico City in the 2025 schedule, Suarez will have the unique opportunity to compete on his home turf and that too in a Cup Series race. The addition also opens doors for others in the top division to make their mark in the history books by potentially winning the first NASCAR Cup international race.
