Get your passports ready; the NASCAR Cup Series might be going international. NASCAR Prophecy on Twitter says that he expects the 2025 NASCAR schedule to come out in a few weeks, including races in Mexico City, Mexico, and Montreal, Canada. How much legitimacy does this rumor have, and how will Mexico and Canada fit into the schedule?
Dave Green is a former NASCAR mechanic who runs the NASCAR Prophecy X account. This means he has some connections within the industry and recently got a report right, at least somewhat. He said last weekend that Hailie Deegan would race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Haas Factory Team, with Cole Custer moving up to the Cup Series. Lo and behold, Haas Factory Team President Joe Custer admitted that the team had discussed the ride with Deegan.
NASCAR racing in Mexico and Canada is not a new topic either. This year, NASCAR President Steve Phelps publicly declared that he would be “surprised” if NASCAR did not race in Mexico and Canada in 2025. In fairness, he also claimed that the teams and NASCAR are “close” in charter negotiations and NASCAR would race in Southern California in 2025. Still, neither of those things has materialized as we knock on the door of August.
Regarding when the schedule will be released, Bob Pockrass reported during the Brickyard 400 weekend that “It changes regularly.” In other words, the schedule will come out when it comes out.
Perhaps the most ominous question this development raises is which tracks will lose their dates on the 2025 schedule. As exciting as it is for NASCAR to race in Mexico and/or Canada, the schedule isn’t expanding, so which tracks will lose their dates?
Perhaps the most likely first choice is Richmond Raceway. Jordan Bianchi reported after the spring race that Richmond might lose a date. It makes sense, given Richmond has multiple dates and has not produced great crowds or a great racing product.
But, if two tracks are added, another track must go. Given that the push for an international race is a NASCAR push, we have to look at tracks and dates that either NASCAR owns or are independently owned and which ones could lose their date. Here is a list of those venues.
Most tracks with one date are probably not going anywhere due to a combination of a good racing product, big crowds, and big markets. The one exception might be Iowa, given that it’s in a small market and has a seating capacity of roughly 30,000, which is small even by modern NASCAR standards. Still, Bud Denker, the President of Penske Corporation, mentioned that he expects NASCAR to return to Iowa in 2025.
Looking at the tracks with two dates, NASCAR isn’t taking dates away from Talladega or Daytona anytime soon. Kansas and Darlington both put on great races with the Next-Gen car, and Darlington hosts two big weekends, “Throwback Weekend” in the spring and the Southern 500 on Labor Day. Phoenix sold out the spring race this year, and the track routinely has sold out the grandstands for the Championship race.
We’re now left with Martinsville, one of NASCAR’s original tracks. While the historical significance is a big draw, that may not be enough for Richmond to keep its’ second date. The Next-Gen car struggles on short tracks, and no track has been more heavily affected than Martinsville. It would be a bold and perhaps an unpopular move to move Martinsville to just one date per year, but if NASCAR is intent on racing at these other tracks, something has to give.
Mexico and Canada joining the NASCAR schedule could be very exciting. However, if it does happen, something has to give.
What do you think about all this? Let us know on Discord or X what your take is, and don’t forget you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and even YouTube.
