NASCAR has confirmed it will bring the Cup Series and Xfinity Series to Mexico City to race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez in 2025.
The Mexico City Grand Prix host venue has signed a multi-year deal to be part of the NASCAR schedule.
It will be the first time since 1958 that a point-paying Cup Series race has been held outside the United States. The last time was at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, Canada.
Between 1996 and 1998, the Cup Series held three exhibition races at Suzuka Circuit.
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez becomes the fifth new venue to join the Cup Serie schedules in five years after Circuit of the Americas, the Los Angeles Coliseum, Nashville Superspeedway, and the Chicago Street Circuit.
“This is a historic moment for our sport, and specifically for the NASCAR Cup Series, in being able to expand our footprint to Mexico,” said NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovation officer Ben Kennedy.
“We’ve been bold about our intentions to grow on a global scale, and there isn’t a better place to take the next step in that journey than at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez road course in Mexico City.”
Although new to the Cup Series, the second-tier Xfinity Series has visited Mexico City previously.
Between 2005 and 2008 the Xfinity Series (formerly Busch Series and Nationwide Series) visited Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez in its previous guise.
The circuit underwent a significant redevelopment in 2015 before Formula 1 returned.
The Cup Series’ debut in Mexico means Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez will have a home event, which will undoubtedly draw a bumper crowd.
“It’s been unbelievable,” said Suarez.
“There are a lot of people excited here in Mexico today. It’s a day that we will remember forever, a very long time. We were talking last night at dinner, that today we are making history.
“Today we are bringing the biggest series in stock car in the world to Mexico City to a points race for the very first time in the Modern Era. So, it’s unbelievable.
“I feel very, very humbled and blessed to be part of this announcement today and I cannot tell you how many people there are downstairs recording and taking pictures.
“The energy was unbelievable and we are still a lot of months away from the race.”
The addition of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez means Richmond Raceway will have just one race in 2025.
To get where we’re going, we must go where we have never been. 🇲🇽
Voiced by Daniel Suárez.
Para llegar a donde queremos estar, tendremos que ir a donde nunca hemos ido. 🇲🇽
Narrado por Daniel Suárez. pic.twitter.com/9MGfFC1yqj
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 27, 2024