NASCAR is poised to rapidly expand an already quickly growing sport. According to trusted insiders, the organization is scouting locations for new street races, with San Diego highlighted as a potential venue by as early as 2026 as the motorsport seeks to diversify its offerings to its fans and viewers.
With the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule now released, and with exciting new developments in store. The season is slated to commence with The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2, followed by the iconic Daytona 500 on February 16, marking the official start of the season.
Various adjustments have also been made to the annual schedule; races like Homestead-Miami, Watkins Glen, and Atlanta’s second dates have shifted to the regular season, while Gateway, New Hampshire, and Darlington’s second date has been moved to the playoff schedule.
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona is set to be the grand finale of the regular season.
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NASCAR’s influence is also extending beyond the borders of the United States, most recently with a race planned in Mexico City on Father’s Day. This marks the Cup’s first points race outside the United States in 67 years, with further expansion opportunities being explored in countries like Brazil and potentially introducing The Clash internationally.
Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President, Chief Venue and Racing Innovation Officer, shared insights into this bold direction:
“This has been on our radar for a long time. 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.
“This is going to be certainly a monumental event for us, the first time we’re going south of the border.”
The ongoing developments and expansions mirror the likes of Formula 1, which under the power of Liberty Media, has expanded into a powerhouse of Grands Prix and entertainment. This – the perfect case study – is something NASCAR is undoubtedly watching.
Kennedy also commented on the new addition to the calendar in the shape of Mexico, as quoted by NASCAR.com:
“This has been on our radar for a long time. 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. This is going to be certainly a monumental event for us, the first time we’re going south of the border.”