NASCAR boss explains why he moved Richmond race to Mexico: ‘We’re still committed to Richmond’

RICHMOND, Va. — The smoke from the fireworks that erupted after NASCAR’s inaugural race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum had just cleared when Ben Kennedy was asked about another big idea he has for the stale and predictable Cup Series schedule.

Kennedy, the great-grandson of NASCAR’s founder and now the racing series’ executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovation officer, hasn’t missed a beat.

He wants to take NASCAR to an international level.

Kennedy will fulfill that vision three years after he stated his intention at the Cup Series race in Mexico City in 2025 for the first international points race in modern history.

The June 15 race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez — one of the most popular stops on the Formula 1 calendar — will be the first time since 1958 and only the third time in 77 years that NASCAR’s top series will run a championship-counting event outside the United States.

NASCAR’s two previous international points races were held in Canada, while the Cup Series has also held exhibitions in Japan and Australia.

“Our biggest opportunity to grow as a sport is internationally,” Kennedy said. “The U.S. will always be our stronghold and our next opportunity is to expand internationally. We’ve said we’ve wanted to do this for a long time, but we also need to make sure it’s the right time, the right partner and the right location.

Photo by John Raoux/AP

“Mexico City fits all the requirements. Being in one of the largest cities in the world — over 20 million people live in the city — it’s a great opportunity for us to bring this sport.”

The race announced Tuesday at Mexico City’s famed permanent track is a multi-year deal that will replace the spring short-track race at Richmond International Raceway. The Mexico City weekend will include the second-tier Xfinity Series and the wildly popular NASCAR Mexico series.

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Mexican driver Daniel Suarez, who competed in NASCAR Mexico’s Clash at the Coliseum event in February, was a key part of Tuesday’s announcement. When the event’s website went live, it featured a video narrated by Suarez, who was the star of a news conference attended by hundreds of media outlets.

“It’s amazing. There are so many happy people in Mexico today, it’s a day we will always remember,” Suarez said. “For me, it’s like a dream. A dream come true. It was exactly 10 years ago that I raced in NASCAR Mexico in 2014 and I won the race here before leaving NASCAR Mexico and moving full-time to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2015.

“I remember thinking how great it would be to one day come back and race here in the Cup Series. I’m really excited to be a part of this journey.”

Kennedy has made bold moves with NASCAR’s schedule since he was put in charge. He was part of the NASCAR leadership that agreed to convert Bristol Motor Speedway to a temporary dirt track, he put a temporary short track inside the LA Coliseum, and he created NASCAR’s first road race in downtown Chicago.

To take the Cup Series to the international level, Kennedy enlisted the help of a former partner with a proven track record of success. The Xfinity Series successfully ran in Mexico City from 2005 to 2008 and current Cup Series stars Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. won during that four-year span.

The race is promoted by OCESA, which also promotes the Mexico City Grand Prix and other large-scale entertainment events throughout the country. OCESA will retain that role for the Cup race.

“When we look at the overall schedule, we always look at a lot of different places and now that we’re on the road course, we’re just looking at markets all over the world, to be honest,” Kennedy said. “We looked at a number of international markets. Obviously, this market was the best fit for us.

“They have a big event here with a lot of spectators. We have experience racing here. The track is in great shape and meets all our standards. It’s a perfect place for us to land.”

What are the details?

Shortly after Kennedy and Suarez left Tuesday’s announcement to return to the U.S., other NASCAR executives stayed behind and immediately began logistical meetings.

Among the topics discussed were what time it was best to be on track — June is the rainy season in Mexico, and rain tends to fall in the afternoon, and traffic around the event site at night can be very heavy — as well as where team transport trucks will be parked and other operational issues.

The track has been decided and while F1 uses a 17-turn layout that is 2.674 miles long, NASCAR will only use 14 turns. NASCAR will eliminate Turns 5 and 6, and while F1 turns left at Turn 4, NASCAR will turn right.

The live track will be used, as will the stadium’s much-loved bowl track section.

However, the length of the race is still being decided, as are ticket prices. OCESA said it wants the race to be announced and then gauge fan interest before resolving some of these issues.

A decision isn’t expected until early next year, but attendance isn’t OCESA’s concern: October’s F1 race has long been sold out and Mexico City is consistently voted the most popular race on the calendar by F1 fans. NASCAR is confident the event can be a destination for American fans.

“I really appreciate them, they’ve been trying so hard to change it over the last couple of years,” driver Chase Elliott said. “They’re willing to try. I think that’s something we should all admire and appreciate, the effort to go to different places and try new things.

“To go abroad and do something different, I think it would be fun.”

Can Kyle Busch compete?

Busch, who won the 2008 Xfinity Series race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, posted on social media Tuesday that he is “excited to race for another win in Mexico in 2025!”

NASCAR then quickly said it had been investigating Busch’s eligibility to return to Mexico following his 2023 arrest for carrying a gun and ammunition in his luggage at a Mexican airport.

Busch was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. The federal attorney general’s office said the judge granted a conditional sentence and Busch was allowed to leave Mexico after posting bail.

NASCAR said Busch’s remaining legal issues in Mexico have been resolved and he can enter the country to race next year.

When will the rest of the NASCAR schedule be out?

Kennedy said he would release the full Cup Series schedule soon, but all of the major changes have been announced with the Mexico City start on Tuesday.

The LA Coliseum event will not return after a three-year run and NASCAR will instead host the Clash exhibition at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, next season.

Richmond will hold only one race, in the fall.

“We’re still committed to Richmond,” Kennedy said. “It’s a key hub, it’s a key market. We’ve seen some interesting storylines come out of that hub over the last couple of years.”

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Among the scheduling announcements are that the all-star race will be held at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the third straight year; Atlanta will move from the playoffs to open the season on June 28; Phoenix will close the season on November 2 and the Homestead-Miami Speedway playoff race will be moved to the regular season in March.

Easter weekend is expected to be the Cup’s only off weekend during the 38-race season.