NASCAR has announced that it will host its first international points race since 1958 in Mexico City next summer.

The Cup and Xfinity series will compete on the weekend of June 15, 2025 on a modified version of the Mexican Formula One circuit, the Autodromos Hermanos Rodriguez.

NASCAR goes international with Mexico City

After years of rumors about the introduction of an international race, NASCAR has finally signed a deal to bring its Cup and Xfinity series to Mexico City for an event at Formula 1’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

This is the first points-paying NASCAR race outside the United States since 1958, when the Cup Series ran a race in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Cup Series also held several exhibition races in Japan in the mid- to late 1990s. The Truck Series also competed at Mosport in 2019, and the Xfinity Series also raced at Autodromos Hermanos Rodriguez between 2005 and 2008.

“This is a historic moment for our sport and especially for the NASCAR Cup Series as we expand our reach into Mexico,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President & Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer, in a press release.

“We have boldly pursued our intentions to grow on a global level and there is no better place to take the next step on that journey than the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in Mexico City.”

There is also a NASCAR race in Mexico this weekend. After all, it is only logical that NASCAR would run one of its regional series on the same schedule as the American series.

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Ben Kennedy explained the route, which will be “very similar” but “slightly shorter” than the Formula 1 track. According to AP According to reporter Jenna Fryer, NASCAR will skip turns 5 and 6 and turn right instead of left at turn 4.

However, the rest of the track layout sounds like it’s the same one Formula 1 uses every year.

Although NASCAR is generally considered an American sport, there are regional NASCAR series in Brazil, Mexico, Canada and Europe, all of which attract numerous dedicated drivers and fans.

But the NASCAR Cup Series itself has also worked hard to increase its international appeal. The series has designed its latest next-gen car with international GT3 rules in mind. This will make it easier for drivers from all over the world to get behind the wheel and feel comfortable right away.

Team-specific activations such as Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91 are also designed to appeal to international drivers; Trackhouse has already fielded drivers such as Kimi Räikkönen with its one-off machines. PROJECT91 was also used to give Supercars legend Shane van Gisbergen his first shot at a Cup Series race at the 2023 Chicago street race. When van Gisbergen won, it encouraged him to move to America to compete in Xfinity in 2024.

It only makes sense that NASCAR’s next step is to make its racing products available to an international audience – and Mexico City is the perfect fit.

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