NASCAR's trip to Mexico symbolizes sport's effort to gain international support

The historic weekend will surely put on a good show for the fans, but there’s much more to glean from NASCAR’s latest schedule change than meets the eye.

NASCAR can enter as many new markets in the U.S. as it wants. Still, achieving worldwide popularity akin to Formula 1 can only be attained if NASCAR markets its product internationally.

For decades, NASCAR was seen as one of the world's premier motorsports. After overtaking IndyCar in popularity in the 1990s and 2000s, the sport became so big in the U.S. that only the NFL could consistently beat it in the ratings.

However, two decades after NASCAR’s peak popularity, the racing series that once dominated the national stage has been overtaken by Formula 1. With the latter’s exploding popularity worldwide, NASCAR’s expansion into international territory couldn’t come at a better time.

NASCAR’s ratings have stabilized over the past three seasons, and an uptick in attendance with the advent of the Next Gen car has brought back energy at the track that hasn’t been felt in years.

NASCAR has tried novelty events in Chicago and Los Angeles over the last two seasons, but a visit to Mexico will be the best showcase of what international NASCAR racing can truly be.

The most significant difference between Mexico and those aforementioned events in major markets is that the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City is a purpose-built, world-class racing facility, unlike manufactured venues in the L.A. Coliseum and the streets of Chicago.

That’s not to say that the racing in L.A. and Chicago has been atrocious, but a trip to a pure racing facility will almost always yield better results than a temporary circuit.

NASCAR has a chance to impact the trajectory of its international appeal in 2025 drastically, and this event can’t afford to go sideways.