For the first time in over 60 years, the NASCAR Cup Series is preparing to travel internationally.
Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief venue & racing innovations officer, made the announcement in Mexico City on Tuesday. The Cup Series will hold a points-paying event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in June 2025, marking its first official visit outside the United States since 1958.
Joining Kennedy for this historic moment was Daniel Suárez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico. Suárez began his NASCAR career in the NASCAR Mexico Series before advancing to the Xfinity Series in 2015, where he won the championship the following year. Now an eight-year veteran of the Cup Series and a Playoff contender following a February win at Atlanta, Suárez expressed his excitement about the upcoming event.
“Exactly 10 years ago, I was here racing in NASCAR Mexico,” Suárez said via teleconference. “I won a race here before moving full-time to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2015. I dreamed of racing the NASCAR Cup Series in my country, and now, nine years later, it’s happening.”
Chase Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and six-time defending Most Popular Driver, recalled his first NASCAR national series victory in 2013 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. On Tuesday, Elliott praised NASCAR’s expanding global footprint.
“The leadership at NASCAR has been exploring opportunities that historically seemed unlikely, and I commend them for that,” Elliott said in a separate teleconference. “Expanding internationally is a great step forward. It’s an honor to have a following big enough to support such events abroad, and it’s something we should continue to pursue if it proves successful.”
Suárez, who recently competed in the NASCAR Mexico Series and won the season opener at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, was thrilled by the enthusiastic response to Tuesday’s announcement. The large turnout underscored the excitement for the upcoming race.
“It’s been unbelievable,” Suárez said. “The energy here in Mexico is incredible. Today, we’re making history by bringing the world’s top stock-car series to Mexico City for a points race for the first time in the modern era. I’m humbled and blessed to be part of this announcement. The support and energy from the crowd today were amazing, even though the race is still months away. This is a day I will remember for a very long time.”
