What’s Happening?

2024 is the third and final year of the Clash at the LA Coliseum, and NASCAR is looking for where to take the event next. Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reports that NASCAR is looking at taking the event to either Mexico City or Guadalajara. Should NASCAR be moving this race to Mexico, which tracks in these cities could NASCAR go to?

• NASCAR has a presence in Mexico already. The Xfinity Series held 4 races in Mexico City between 2005 and 2008, and the NASCAR Mexico Series has been in the country since 2004.
• NASCAR has been looking to go international for a while now. Rumors were swirling throughout 2023 that the Cup Series would host an international race in 2024, but, that never materialized.
• Fans are interested and excited to see NASCAR potentially heading to Mexico. It would be an exciting move for many fans.

Race Tracks in Mexico City

Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

The most prominent race track in Mexico is Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. It hosts the Formula One Mexico Grand Prix every year, and it has hosted 4 NASCAR Xfinity Series races in its history. It is also scheduled to host the NASCAR Mexico Series season finale later this year.

This track also has multiple layouts. There are multiple layouts of the road course and there is even an oval track with no banking. The racing product may not be great because of the Next-Gen car, but, it’s the most prominent race track in Mexico.

Estadio Azteca

The LA Coliseum also opened up the possibility of stadium racing, so, let’s look at stadiums as well. The largest stadium in Mexico is the Estadio Azteca, with a capacity of 87,523. It’s a soccer stadium that is used to hosting big events. The World Cup will be held there in 2026, and the NFL has held games at the venue.

The question with this stadium, as well as any other stadiums on this list, is availability. February is the height of soccer season. This stadium hosts Club America, Cruz Azul, and the Mexico National Football Team. Could a NASCAR race in February fit?

Race Tracks in Guadalajara

Autodromo Guadalajara

The one race track that is in Guadalajara is Autodromo Guadalajara. The track is a 1.5-mile road course located near Guadalajara Airport. While the track is not as prominent at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, it is near a major market in Guadalajara.

The issue with this track would be crowds. It’s not a race track that has a big grandstand capacity, so, not a lot of fans would be in attendance. The NASCAR Mexico Series doesn’t even host a race there.

Estadio Jalisco

If NASCAR wants to go to Guadalajara, the big stadium in the city is Estadio Jalisco. This stadium does not have quite the capacity of Estadio Azteca at only 55,100. However, if NASCAR is thinking of hosting another stadium race in Guadalajara, this is pretty much their only option.

Like Estadio Azteca, the issue is availability in February. The stadium has two tenants, Atlas FC and Leones Negros UdeG. Could they host a race in a stadium like this in the middle of soccer season? That may be a tough ask.

If NASCAR is looking to race in these two cities in Mexico, these are the potential venues they could look at. With the Clash being held in a football stadium, the possibilities are interesting.