International markets may be a significant aspect of NASCAR’s future.
After holding exhibition races in the 1980s and ’90s in Australia and Japan, NASCAR has explored the concept further with NASCAR Xfinity Series races in Canada and Mexico in the late 2000s. But a modern NASCAR Cup Series race outside of the United States has not happened just yet.
That should change soon. NASCAR came very close to having one on the 2024 calendar by all accounts, and there have been other countries thrown about by executives and the rumor mill.
It should be mentioned that the most financially successful race that NASCAR could put on in international markets would be a paid race in the Middle East. It would be a situation where a government, whether it be Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, pays NASCAR a ridiculous amount of money to hold a race there. This is a tactic seen in other sports/events held in these countries such as Formula 1, UFC and WWE.
With that in mind, here are five international tracks at which NASCAR should — and probably are — look at holding Cup races.
5. Montreal
The most obvious choice, and one that came extremely close to being on the 2024 schedule by NASCAR’s own admission.
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve combines street racing characteristics — the track is on a man-made island that functions as a public park — with traditional circuit driving. The Xfinity Series always put on a great show when it ran there, with plenty of races coming down to the final chicane and the notorious Wall of Champions.
It seems extremely likely Montreal will be visited by NASCAR in the near future. Canada has not seen a NASCAR Cup race since 1958, so there will be plenty of hoopla among local fans when it does.
4. Mexico City
Another former Xfinity standalone, Mexico was much less revered in…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at …