NASCAR is set to host its first international points event in Mexico City, marking a significant milestone in both the sport’s expansion and its broadcasting reach. Scheduled for June 15, 2025, the race will take place at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, a venue revered in motorsport circles for its storied past with both Formula 1 and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. And next year, it will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video.
Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President & Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer, stressed the significance of this major step in a release from NASCAR.
“This [international event] has been on our radar for a long time,” Kennedy explained. “We’ve been talking about the continued iteration of our schedule, right? You can go back a few years, went to new markets like Nashville and Austin, Texas.
“We went to the Coliseum for the Clash. … We went to our first street race in downtown Chicago, and this is going to be another first for us in a lot of ways.”
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Describing the upcoming Mexico City race, he stated:
“This is going to be certainly a monumental event for us, the first time we’re going south of the border.”
The international venture is not only an expansion but also a deeply personal affair for NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suárez.
Born in Mexico, Suárez shared his emotional connection to the race:
“This, for me, is like a dream. This is really a dream come true.”
He vividly remembered his aspirations during his earlier years racing in NASCAR Mexico, reflecting on his journey to the pinnacle of NASCAR racing.
“Exactly 10 years ago, I was here racing NASCAR Mexico in 2014, and I won a race here before leaving NASCAR México and moving full-time to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2015, and I knew that some, some years before my time, the NASCAR Xfinity Series had the opportunity to come to Mexico for a few years and I remember thinking what a dream it would be for me to race the NASCAR Cup Series one day in my country.
“I remember thinking that, and fast forward now nine years later, and here we are in Mexico City.”
In partnership with OCESA, promoter for the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix, NASCAR aims to leverage local expertise in orchestrating major motorsport events. Alejandro Soberón, CEO of OCESA, highlighted the potential of this collaboration.
“At OCESA, we are dedicated to entertaining people,” Soberón commented. “And this has positioned us as the most powerful live events platform in Mexico and Latin America, as well as one of the most important globally.”
Amazon Prime Video will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series race live, expanding its footprint in sports coverage, while The CW will air the companion NASCAR Xfinity Series race scheduled a day earlier on June 14, 2025. This broadcasting strategy not only widens viewership but also enhances NASCAR’s appeal to a global audience.
Kennedy touched on the bigger picture of NASCAR’s global aspirations.
“It’s huge. When we talk as a leadership team about where we feel like our biggest growth opportunities as a sport is, international is always one of the first things that comes up,” he stated.
Reiterating NASCAR’s commitment to its traditional roots even as it ventures abroad, Kennedy confirmed continued support for the Richmond track.
“We’re still committed to Richmond… We’ve seen some exciting storylines certainly coming out of that track over the past few years and excited to continue to be there next year, put on a great event for our fans, and put a lot of that energy and resources into that event,” Kennedy said.