There are ongoing rumors that NASCAR’s upcoming race in Mexico might not happen due to the current political climate. The Xfinity Series is set to compete at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Saturday, June 14, followed by the Cup Series on Sunday, June 15. While the Xfinity Series last raced at the venue in 2008, this would be the Cup Series’ first visit. The most recent Cup Series event outside the U.S. took place in Japan in 1998, and the last international points race was held in Canada back in 1958.
Despite these persistent rumors, NASCAR has made efforts to promote the race. A recent media event featured drivers Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Mexico’s own Daniel Suarez. Additionally, NASCAR invited Mexican media to the Circuit of the Americas last weekend, and tickets for the event are already on sale. NASCAR officials remain firm that the race will proceed as planned.
However, speculation continues, with the Daytona International Speedway road course emerging as a possible backup location. This 3.56-mile, 12-turn track was added to the 2020 schedule as a replacement for venues affected by pandemic restrictions and remained on the calendar in 2021 for both the preseason Clash and a regular-season race.
At this point, there is no official indication that the Mexico race will be canceled, but the situation remains fluid. As noted by RACER.com’s Kelly Crandall, NASCAR has contingency plans in place for all 36 scheduled races. If the Mexico race were to be removed, the Cup Series would not drop from 26 to 25 regular-season races.
The Mexico City race was introduced to the 2025 schedule in place of one of Richmond Raceway’s two annual race dates, which had been a fixture since 1959. With four races completed in both the Xfinity and Cup Series seasons, the Mexico event is set to be race number 15 on the Xfinity schedule and race number 16 on the Cup schedule.
