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Mexico City delivered a landmark moment for NASCAR and immediate uncertainty. Despite Shane van Gisbergen’s dominant Cup Series victory and Daniel Suárez’s emotional Xfinity win, NASCAR executive Ben Kennedy offered no guarantees about a 2026 return. The historic first points race outside the U.S. since 1958 succeeded strategically yet left its future dangling.
Kennedy championed the event’s cultural impact before packed media rooms. But logistical hurdles and scheduling gridlock overshadowed celebrations. With a multi-year deal in hand but no consecutive-year clause, Mexico’s NASCAR moment hangs on falling dominoes.
Ben Kennedy Praises Strategic Win Amid Fan Connection
The numbers told a compelling story for NASCAR’s global gamble. Kennedy revealed 90% of attendees hailed from Mexico, 44% from Mexico City itself. He wandered the grandstands, absorbing electric reactions from first-time audiences and diehards alike. This wasn’t just racing. It was cultural bridge-building.
“We’ve been bold and innovative. Done things like races in downtown Los Angeles and building a temporary stadium there. First-ever street race in our sport’s history in downtown Chicago,” Kennedy declared.
Ben Kennedy comments: “Today wasn’t just a race. It was a historic moment for our sport.”
“The logistical planning wasn’t perfect. We learned a lot of things.”
“One of the coolest parts about this weekend is seeing the reaction from the fans. … The energy and the passion of…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) June 16, 2025
“This was the next milestone for us, bringing a race internationally. I can tell you, we’re very bold about continuing to bring our NASCAR Cup Series internationally. Mexico is a great place to do it. This weekend is a great example of that. We’re very hopeful to be here in the long term.”
His tone radiated pride in reaching 90 million potential fans. “Just being in a country with 90 million people and over 20 million people in the larger Mexico City metro alone, that in itself is a success. I would say, in my opinion, that carries a lot more weight than the economics or the financials of the event.”
Logistics Loom Large Over Mexico’s NASCAR Cup & Xfinity Series Return
Beneath the optimism lay operational realities. Kennedy’s language turned cautious when addressing 2026. “As we’re going through the planning of putting together the pieces for the 2026 schedule, there are a lot of dominoes that need to fall, and every domino as we start to stitch a schedule together,” he said. “Our hope is for this to be a mainstay on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.” The contract with promoter OCESA allows returns, but not necessarily next year.
Travel chaos exposed the core challenge. Sandwiched between Michigan and Pocono, the Mexico trip strained teams. Kennedy admitted any future run requires adjacent off-weeks: “The challenge is we don’t have many off weeks. We do have some options, and we are looking at those options. We just want to huddle internally.” With 38 annual races, NASCAR’s calendar groaned under cross-border haulers.
Meanwhile, Formula 1’s streamlined global model (24 races) taunts NASCAR’s expansion dreams. “The amount of inventory that we carry through our Cup Series schedule makes it very difficult for us to travel from the United States overseas,” Kennedy conceded. When asked directly about 2026, he said, “We’re very hopeful to be back here in the future.”
The silence spoke volumes. Mexico City’s fate now rests on NASCAR’s willingness to sacrifice domestic dates for international gambles and whether dominoes fall in its favor.
