NASCAR will conclude its preliminary three-year settlement for the road race held in Chicago in July, and has not but dedicated to holding the occasion past 2025.
“For us, we’re simply 2025. It will be the third 12 months of a three-year run, and every year we have needed to construct upon the momentum that we’ve got,” NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell advised the Sports activities Enterprise Journal. “We have discovered issues every 12 months — it is our first road race, lots of learnings got here from that.”
If NASCAR doesn’t renew the Chicago occasion, there was hypothesis that the collection might look to stage a road race in San Diego. O’Donnell didn’t affirm nor deny whether or not the collection’ curiosity in a San Diego race.
NASCAR has “a variety of people who’re at NASCAR from a road race (perspective),” he advised the SBJ. “We’re actually curious about California and the Southern California market, and that can proceed to be a magnet for us, however nothing to verify at this level.”
Avenue race specialist Shane van Gisbergen gained the inaugural Chicago race in 2022, whereas Alex Bowman gained a rain-shortened Grant Park 165 final July.
O’Donnell additionally didn’t present particulars on whether or not NASCAR has plans to ultimately maintain a race in Saudi Arabia, however stated that curiosity within the collection stays sturdy in the USA and internationally.
Saudi Arabia’s deliberate Qiddiya leisure mega metropolis might goal a NASCAR race for the Pace Park circuit underneath growth that’s scheduled to open in 2028.
The Cup Sequence will maintain its first factors race exterior of the USA in 67 years when it visits Mexico subsequent 12 months.
“I would not put it particularly on Saudi,” stated O’Donnell, including that there was curiosity from Europe and Asia, amongst different world markets. “We have a finite quantity of content material we will convey, however I believe as you take a look at NASCAR from a global standpoint, it will be extra round that Mexico mannequin the place we wish to look to develop the general sport and construct it inside the tradition wherever we go.
“So we will actually take a race from an exhibition standpoint or from a nationwide collection, however you may see it coupled if we do go someplace with a grassroots efforts as nicely.”
