It appears the NASCAR Cup Series will make its way out of the United States for two races in 2025.
NASCAR is looking to have Cup Series races in Canada and Mexico next year.
NASCAR president Steve Phelps on schedule, charters and more. He hints there could be NASCAR races north of the border, south of the border and in Southern California next year. https://t.co/mGEbTxmIm0
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 18, 2024
Last year, all signs pointed toward the NASCAR Cup Series racing in Montreal, Quebec, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in the summer of 2024. But the deal could not be completed before the deadline was reached for putting the race on the schedule. The loss of that date in Montreal meant that Iowa Speedway was introduced to the Cup Series schedule for 2024.
The rumor going around the garage is that The Clash will be run in Mexico in 2025. The Clash had been run at the L.A. Coliseum the past three years — which was the length of the contract to run the race at that stadium. There looks to be no interest in renewing that deal, so for now it appears NASCAR will not be returning to Los Angeles.
Another target for NASCAR is returning to Southern California for a Cup Series race in 2025. This will help keep the sport in Southern California and keep that crowd covered when it comes to being able to attend a race. This has become more difficult with the loss of Auto Club Speedway after 2023.
Auto Club Speedway is currently undergoing a partial demolition; but the sanctioning body plans to reconfigure the circuit into a half-mile short track while selling the remainder of the property. There is some doubt in the industry that this track will ever come to fruition.
A trip to Southern California is vital to keeping the fans in California, with its high population, invested in the sport. Sonoma Raceway cannot be the only venue that hosts the NASCAR Cup Series.
It is still early in the process to create the 2025 schedule, but it appears that Canada, Mexico and Southern California will figure into the plans for Cup Series events next year.
