The NASCAR Cup Series held its first points-paying race at an international venue in Mexico City last year. This was seen as a major step towards expanding the frontiers of stock car racing beyond the United States of America and attracting foreign audiences. But what are the roots of this belief that NASCAR must go overseas to protect its future? Jeff Burton explained this in a recent interview with Kenny Wallace.
The veteran pilot believes that governance sees this as a way to develop the sport. Although he admits he doesn’t know if it’s the right thing to do, he is extremely excited about taking action in Canada. Stock car racing has extremely passionate fans in the region, and that could do wonders for TV ratings and NASCAR’s viewership north of the border.
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He added, “I just think it’s just a conversation about growing the sport, you know what I mean? How can we grow the sport? And those are decisions that you know Ben Kennedy, he’ll be involved in those discussions about what’s the right thing to do, if anything. And again, if you never do anything, you’re going to fail.”
Staying stagnant is what will kill any sport. It must change with changing public interests to remain relevant. Burton firmly believes the same thing. The question is not whether change is necessary, but rather when and what change is necessary. Despite the success of the event in Mexico City, NASCAR will not return there or any other international venue in 2026.
Which international venue should NASCAR visit next?
The most likely and easiest international destination that NASCAR could go to is Montreal, Canada. It is also the most logical solution from a logistical point of view. And just like Mexico, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve hosted the now O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in the late 2000s. So it’s not entirely new in the world of stock car racing.
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Another popular destination is the Autodromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil. It is one of the most iconic circuits on the Formula 1 calendar and would also be suitable for NASCAR. The high-speed curves and dramatic elevation changes would make for an interesting watch.
With the sports affair with Japan recently revived in the form of a exhibition route by 23XI Racing and Jimmie Johnson, perhaps it’s time to revisit another venue that NASCAR has been synonymous with in the past. With the governing body finally listening to fans, for example, with the recent format change, it is more than likely that Canada will be on the National Series schedule in 2027.
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