from https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-nascar-to-mexico-dale-earnhardt-jr-sparks-rumors-of-imminent-international-expansion-amidst-decline-at-historical-tracks/

NASCAR to Mexico? Dale Earnhardt Jr Sparks Rumors of Imminent
International Expansion Amidst Decline at Historical Tracks
Published 05/07/2024, 11:22 PM EDT
By
NEHA DWIVEDI

USA Today via Reuters

Short-track racing really hits the spot for fans and drivers alike.
Ideally, NASCAR should be throwing more short tracks into the mix, like
they did with North Wilkesboro, Iowa, and the Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum, instead of cutting them out. However, NASCAR’s got a bigger
puzzle to solve when it comes to nailing down the right rules for these
tracks. Richmond has been a particular concern, with races turning out
kind of dull.

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To shake things up, NASCAR is thinking about heading down to Mexico.
This buzz first started floating around in early April, but it picked up
steam again recently when Dale Earnhardt Jr chimed in, voicing his
letdown over the move.

Dale Earnhardt Jr isn’t happy with how NASCAR seems to be drifting away
from short tracks
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During the offseason, NASCAR President Steve Phelps hinted that Richmond
might lose one of its two annual race dates. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard such whispers about Richmond. Phelps mentioned that tracks typically hold onto their double dates if they sell out or deliver “extraordinary” racing. In recent years, NASCAR has pulled second dates from tracks like New Hampshire, Texas, Dover, Pocono, and Michigan due
to underwhelming sales or performances.

Richmond hasn’t sold out a Cup Series race since 2008, and the quality
of the racing there has been pretty hit-or-miss for the last decade.
Combine so-so races with sparse crowds, and you’ve got a recipe for
NASCAR looking elsewhere—Mexico. Dale Earnhardt Jr, a staunch supporter
of short tracks, finds this shift particularly frustrating.

Junior laid out his frustration pretty straight, saying, “There’s
nothing wrong with Richmond you know and we’re going to go we’re going
to leave Richmond to go race in Mexico. We’re going to leave all these traditional ovals to go race a road course. […] What’s whittling away
one of my favorite things short track seems to be because […] the
package is not good right now. It’s uh easy for the industry to say
let’s not go there. If our package isn’t good or our short track package isn’t exciting our fans are not enjoying it you know it’s the one that’s going to sacrifice.”

He agreed that NASCAR is pumped about showcasing their races to a global audience, and it’s pretty awesome for the sport to hit up a new country
and strut their stuff—just like the NFL and F1 do. NASCAR is aiming big, hoping to be successful enough to take their show on the road
internationally and host some killer events. But as someone who loves
the old-school ways, Dale Jr admits, “That’s tough for me.”

However, whether NASCAR’s move to Mexico is actually a win for the sport
is still up in the air. What if fans abroad don’t get into it as much as
the home crowd, who cheer on drivers from their own backyards who’ve
made it big in NASCAR?

Can NASCAR really scale up globally like the NFL and F1 have?

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