On Thursday, there was a meeting attended by Governor of São Paulo state Tarcísio de Freitas and Mayor of the city of São Paulo Ricardo Nunes. Also in attendance was Tom Dannemiller, who serves as NASCAR's representative in Brazil, as well as secretaries from both the municipality and state, formalizing their interest in hosting pre-season the 2026 season, the Clash.
“We are always looking for the best attractions for São 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,” said Governor Freitas.
This would be the the first NASCAR Cup Series race to ever be run in Brazil, or on the continent of South America. The country is already home to NASCAR Brazil. The series is competing at Interlagos this weekend and Cup star Daniel Suarez is taking part in the event. The Mexican-born racer is already locked into the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Nelson Piquet Jr. is the only Brazilian racing driver has managed to win in any of the three national levels of the sport. He won two Truck Series races in 2012, as well as a NASCAR Xfinity race during the same year.
Earlier this year, Chad Seigler, NASCAR vice president and chief international, spoke to Motorsport.com on the sport's desire to race outside of the United States: “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.”
The Cup Series hasn't raced outside of the U.S.A. since running non-points exhibitions races in Japan, with the last one being in 1998. Before that, there was an exhibition race in Australia in 1988.
Two points-paying Cup races have held in Canada during the 1950s -- one in 1952 at Stamford Park in Ontario and one in 1958 at Canadian Exposition Stadium in Toronto.
The Clash serves as the unofficial to the NASCAR season. For the longest time, it was held at Daytona International Speedway as a prelude to the Daytona 500. In 2022, NASCAR made a bold decision in moving the entire event to Los Angeles. Competing in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum for the past three years on a temporary track, it drew impressive viewership in comparison to the rest of the season.
