The NASCAR Cup Collection including Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in the 2025 season schedule is a outstanding transfer for the game, which has been pushing for a global Cup race for a while. Cup automobiles have not raced outdoors of america in over 25 years, and never in a points-paying championship occasion since 1958.
Previous to the Mexico Metropolis choice and announcement, the collection had additionally been contemplating a date at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada and showcased ambitions for increasing into Brazil. And it appears different locales and international locations are expressing curiosity in internet hosting, or have a global collection of their very own. We reported recently that the city of Sao Paulo is interested in hosting the 2026 Clash, and Daniel Suarez himself simply raced (and won) in a NASCAR Brazil Series event at Interlagos.
Suarez is however one instance of the few worldwide drivers who’ve received on the high stage of the game — and the record of worldwide races is even shorter. Listed below are the few locations NASCAR’s managed to get its passport stamped and go racing.
1952 Unnamed 100-mile occasion – Stamford Park – Niagara Falls, Canada
The primary Cup race outdoors of america happened on July 1st, 1952. The Ontario half-mile grime observe had been round since 1923, however closed one 12 months after the Cup Collection visited. Referred to as a ‘automotive killer,’ it lived as much as its title in opposition to the early pioneers of NASCAR. Paying an admission of 1 greenback for adults and 50 cents for kids, spectators watched on as solely three of the 17 starters made it to the end line within the 200-lap race. Buddy Sherman made his ’52 Hudson final, averaging a pace of 45.610mph and successful by two laps over NASCAR Corridor of Famer Herb Thomas. It was Sherman’s solely victory within the Cup Collection.
Canadian flag
Picture by: FIA World Rallycross
1958 Jim Mideon 500 – Exhibition Stadium – Toronto, Canada
On July 18th, 1958, NASCAR returned to Canada to race contained in the now demolished Canadian Nationwide Exhibition Stadium, competing on a 0.333-mile asphalt oval that had a hanging resemblance to Bowman Grey Stadium. Lee Petty would take victory, main 29 of 100 laps in a race that solely lasted 46 minutes.
Nonetheless, crucial story of this race is probably not who received, however who made their debut. The 21-year-old son of Lee Petty made his first of 1,184 begins in NASCAR’s final points-paying Cup race outdoors of america. The long run ‘King’ of NASCAR was wrecked out of the occasion when he acquired in the way in which of the quickest man within the discipline — his father.
Race winner Lee Petty
Picture by: NASCAR Media
1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500 – Calder Park Thunderdome – Melbourne, Australia
30 years after the final Cup race on worldwide soil, the game made the daring step to host a non-points race on the opposite facet of the planet. On February twenty eighth, 1988, NASCAR ventured far past the continent of North America to race in Australia. The 280-lap race happened on the oval at Calder Park Raceway with 24-degree banked corners.
The 32 starters featured a number of stars from the Australia/New Zealand motorsport world, together with Bathurst 1000 champions Dick Johnson, Jim Richards, and Allan Grice. But it surely was the NASCAR regulars who dominated the occasion with Neil Bonnett capturing the checkered flag simply forward of Bobby Allison in a 1-2 end for the Alabama Gang. The occasion led to the creation of a NASCAR Australia racing division, which operated from 1989 to 2002.
In fashionable NASCAR, a number of drivers from ‘down underneath’ have made the trek throughout the ocean to race in NASCAR, exhibiting how the bond stays sturdy between the 2. Marcos Ambrose and Shane van Gisbergen, each champions of the Supercars division, have gone on to grow to be winners on the high stage of the game with SVG about to embark on his first full-time Cup season.
Shane Van Gisbergen, Kaulig Racing, WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro
Picture by: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Images
1996 & 1997 NASCAR Thunder Particular – Suzuka Circuit – Suzuka, Japan
Within the subsequent decade, NASCAR shifted focus to Japan as its subsequent vacation spot for an exhibition race. Following the completion of the 1996 season, the game sanctioned a race on the East Course of the Suzuka Circuit on November twenty fourth.
The curiosity across the occasion was electrical. It attracted Japanese racing stars reminiscent of ‘Drift King’ Keiichi Tsuchiya, in addition to Hideo Fukuyama, Akihiko Nakaya, and Kazuteru Wakida. Rusty Wallace beat Dale Earnhardt by simply over a second, main 84 of 100 laps en path to the victory.
Because of the success of the race, NASCAR returned one 12 months later to do all of it once more. Nonetheless, rain turned a problem for the sequel. The sanctioning physique broke out the wet-weather tires for the particular occasion, and a lot of the NASCAR drivers within the discipline have been about to get their first expertise racing within the rain. Mike Skinner received the day, beating Mark Martin by 3.7s.
These races served as inspiration for future F1 driver and Le Mans 24 champion Kamui Kobayashi, who watched on and was lastly fulfilled a lifelong dream to race in NASCAR when he made his Cup debut final 12 months.
Kamui Kobayashi, 23XI Racing, Mobil 1 fiftieth Anniversary Toyota Camry
Picture by: Rusty Jarrett / NKP / Motorsport Images
1998 Coca-Cola 500 – Twin Ring Motegi – Motegi, Japan
For the third consecutive 12 months, NASCAR returned to Japan on November twenty second, however this time, they went oval racing. After two years at Suzuka, the race moved to the oval observe at Twin Ring Motegi for a 201-lap occasion.
31 drivers began the race in a discipline that noticed Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. compete in opposition to one another in Cup automobiles for the very first time. The race got here all the way down to a showdown between Jeff Gordon and Mike Skinner. Gordon was contemporary off his third Cup title and ran Skinner down within the closing laps. He acquired all the way in which to the right-rear of his fellow Chevrolet driver, however couldn’t fairly get alongside because the checkered flag flew.
Motegi circuit emblem
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
After Japan
NASCAR’s three-year experiment in Japan was over and whereas many thought it was the start of one thing, it turned out to be the top. Cup automobiles haven’t raced outdoors of the US since that day in November, virtually 26 years in the past.
Within the years that adopted, the Xfinity Collection has raced in Mexico Metropolis and Montreal. The Truck Collection has raced at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. NASCAR has shaped worldwide inventory automotive racings divisions in Mexico, Brazil, and even Europe. In 2016, the game had its first foreign-born driver win a national-level title when Daniel Suarez turned the champion of the Xfinity Collection. At Watkins Glen, simply two years in the past, the game set a report for international locations represented in a single Cup race at seven whole.
The game has been edging nearer to a global race through the years and the powers that be have proven renewed curiosity in international growth. When the Cup Collection heads to Mexico in 2025, they may make historical past and hopefully, mark the beginning of a brand new period for NASCAR. And who is aware of? Perhaps Brazil is subsequent.
