NASCAR Won't Return To Popular City For 2026 Season

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 2:59 PM ET

Next year's list of tracks is already being sorted out by the NASCAR Cup Series. On Wednesday, it was reported that a controversial destination has been removed from the 2026 schedule.

Last month, the Cup Series held a race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico. It was the first time since 1958 that an international city hosted a race that counts towards the Cup Series standings. Shane van Gisbergen won the race on June 15, defeating Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott and the rest of the field in convincing fashion.

"What a week. I’ve really enjoyed myself here, but felt like rubbish this morning," van Gisbergen said after the race. "Our car was amazing. The 54 [Ty Gibbs] was close, but that last stint, what a pleasure, just ripping lap after lap and watching them get smaller in the mirror."

Although there was a ton of intrigue surrounding this year's race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, there won't be an encore in 2026.

According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, NASCAR will not return to Mexico City next season. Chicagoland Speedway is expected to take its spot.

As of now, NASCAR doesn't have a single international race on its schedule for the 2026 season. Apparently, they just couldn't work out the logistics to keep the Cup Series in Mexico for another year.

One challenge for NASCAR is that Mexico will host a few World Cup matches between June 11 and July 5. It's tough for the Cup Series to dominate a weekend in Mexico when FIFA has the entire world watching its product.

While this decision doesn't completely end NASCAR's relationship with Mexico City, it further validates how special this season's race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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