The 2025 NASCAR season is set to bring a highly anticipated Cup Series race to the iconic Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. This marks a significant milestone in the sport's history as it ventures into new international territories. NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovations Officer Ben Kennedy played a crucial role in making this happen. Back in September, during Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour, Kennedy shared the details of how this race came about. "This is something we've talked about for a while," he said. "We aim to take our premier Cup Series products globally and had several conversations. Mexico City emerged as a prime choice due to our great relationship with the local promoters. We previously had the Xfinity Series race there from 2005 to 2008."Opportunity in a Huge Market
The significance of this race cannot be overstated. With over 20 million people in Mexico City, it presents a massive opportunity to introduce our sport to a whole new audience of fans. As Kennedy mentioned, "Just being in a market like this is a huge opportunity to get our sport in front of a ton of new fans and new people. We're excited about it and know that this is only the start of our journey. We have a lot of work to do in the next nine and a half months, but the potential is enormous."First International Points Event
Next year's Mexico race will be a groundbreaking event as it becomes the first international points event in the Cup Series' modern history. Scheduled to take place on June 15 and streamed on Prime Video, it will showcase NASCAR on an international stage. This is a momentous occasion that marks a new chapter in the sport's global expansion.Partnership and Growth
Ben Kennedy emphasized the multiyear partnership with Mexico City. "It's huge," he added. "When we discuss our growth opportunities as a sport, international always tops the list. We've already brought the Craftsman Truck Series to Canada and had the Xfinity Series in Mexico. This is a monumental moment as it's our first step in truly taking the Cup Series internationally." The leadership team sees this as a significant step towards expanding NASCAR's reach and popularity worldwide.
