NASCAR Rumor: Series eyes race in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Key officials including Tarcísio de Freitas, the Governor of Sao Paulo, and Ricardo Nunes, the Mayor of Sao Paulo, met with NASCAR representatives to discuss hosting a NASCAR Cup Series race in the future. The proposed event, headlined The Clash, could potentially be held in Sao Paulo for the 2026 NASCAR preseason.

Tom Dannemiller, NASCAR’s representative in Brazil, and Pete Jung, NASCAR’s Chief Marketing Officer, among other officials from both state and municipal levels, were also present for the meeting.

If the plans come to fruition, it would mark the first NASCAR Cup Series race in Brazil and across South America. Local familiarity with NASCAR comes from the NASCAR Brazil series.

Governor Tarcísio de Freitas voiced his support for the initiative, stating, as quoted by Motorsport:

“We are always looking for the best attractions for Sao Paulo that can bring in tourists, as well as attract investment and generate jobs. We have a racetrack that is a reference for the sport and we have everything we need to put on a great event.”

NASCAR’s plans to expand internationally are well-documented. Chad Seigler, vice president and chief international of NASCAR, as quoted in the same report from Motorsport,

“For years we said we want to go outside the U.S. and race, and you’ve seen us move from the messaging of it’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when. I would tell you that we’re leaning even closer now to, ‘Yes, we are going.’ I feel confident we’re going to be there sooner than later.”

“Our model’s a little different from some of the other, what I would call global platforms, in the sense that we don’t necessarily take our Cup Series and pack it up and move it around the world.

“That’s not our business model. What we try to do is create individual series in those markets that we’re targeting. Our goal is to build an infrastructure in those markets. You want to create local stories, local team owners, local mechanics, and really expose the sport of NASCAR to markets outside of the US. The goal is to develop all those while at the same time, if you have a young driver that says, ‘Instead of going to F1, my goal is to go to Daytona,’ we’re providing them a platform.”