As NASCAR Schedule Dumps Iconic Track, Roger Penske Plans to Snatch it in 2026: Reports

For the first time in nearly seven decades, NASCAR staged a points-paying Cup Series race outside the United States in 2025. The Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez drew massive crowds and showcased the venue’s ability to host world-class stock car racing. However, reports suggest it will not return to the NASCAR schedule in 2026. This is a result of a congested calendar tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be partly hosted in the country. That gap leaves an opening in Mexico City’s motorsports landscape, one that Roger Penske’s series has been evaluating closely.

IndyCar has flirted with a return to Latin America since its last Champ Car race in Mexico in 2007. The series has made international aspirations known before. Yet logistical hurdles and domestic priorities of