NASCAR announced earlier this season that the Cup Series field will travel to Mexico in 2025 for an international points-paying race. The development was celebrated by the fandom, which has been yearning to see stock car racing regain its lost luster in the global market.
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However, a similar race in the Middle East doesn’t appear to be something many will take favorably. The Qiddiya Speed Park is a visionary project Saudi Arabia launched in March.
The purpose of this half-a-billion-dollar circuit is to be more than just a race track for one particular racing discipline such as Formula 1. A proposed hub for motorsports of various orders and tourism, it serves as a cornerstone initiative in the broad spectrum of Saudi Arabia’s interests.
According to the latest news to come out of the Arabian peninsula, NASCAR is expected to be one of the many series that the park will play host to in the future.
Although this could be a big step in terms of globalizing stock car racing, some fans find the prospect uncomfortable for various reasons. And with the news firing up discussions on forums such as Reddit, their opinions came to notice.
.@NASCAR is declining comment on being listed as in talks to bring a future race to @Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia, but it has acknowledged exploring events in the Middle East before.
The Saudis today gave an update on track construction + showed a poster with series they’re eyeing. pic.twitter.com/NmKszSQvMy
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) October 29, 2024
One fan wrote, “I cant see that going over well with most of the fan base. I wouldn’t be for it but admittedly I would still watch it. I think there are better places overseas we could showcase nascar.”
Saudi Arabia or Sonoma, the thrill of the sport remains the same. Judging from the influx of wealth into the project, it is also a certainty that a race there will be a must-watch entertainer for fans.
Will fans take well to a NASCAR race in the Middle East?
Other comments weren’t so reasonable either. Another fan said, “I’d… rather they didn’t. Any business done with the Saudis should be considered blood money. Japan,Europe and maybe Brazil (Not the best place,but they have a killer track) are better options.”
Formula 1 is the biggest name in motorsports right now and it doesn’t have a problem going to the country or doing business with it. If reaching the scale of F1 is the goal, NASCAR wouldn’t be doing any good by ignoring a particular country or race by these standards.
That said, Japan, Europe, and Brazil do have “killer” tracks. Yet another fan continued on the same lines and stated, “Mexico City is ok but we don’t need to ever be going somewhere like the Middle East.”
The words from one follower intrigue particular interest. They consider such a move to be “sportswashing at its finest”. Sportswashing is the practice of using sports to divert public attention from wrongdoing or unethical conduct.
It is typically governments and large corporations that are accused of doing this. The fan’s categorization leaves a larger discussion hanging on the thread. From NASCAR’s side, however, there has only been a declination about a confirmed race in Qiddiya.
Veteran reporter Adam Stern confirmed that the promotion has explored the Middle East for venues before and that it is currently declining comment. The project’s construction in the meanwhile is moving forward at a brisk pace. Further news can be expected soon.
