On Thursday, the Governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, along with the Mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes, met with Tom Dannemiller, NASCAR’s representative in Brazil, and Pete Jung, NASCAR’s Chief Marketing Officer. The meeting included secretaries from both the municipality and the state, reinforcing their collective interest in hosting the 2026 pre-season event, known as the Clash.
“We are constantly seeking top-tier attractions for São Paulo that can draw in tourists, attract investments, and create jobs. We have a racetrack renowned in the sport and the resources needed to host an exceptional event,” stated Governor Freitas.
This would mark the first NASCAR Cup Series race in Brazil, as well as the first in South America, although NASCAR Brazil currently operates within the country. The series is competing at Interlagos this weekend, with Cup star Daniel Suarez participating in the event. The Mexican driver is already secured for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Nelson Piquet Jr. is the only Brazilian driver to win at any of NASCAR’s three national levels; he achieved victories in two Truck Series races in 2012, as well as one NASCAR Xfinity race in that same year.
Earlier this year, Chad Seigler, NASCAR’s Vice President and Chief International Officer, talked with Autosport about the sport’s ambition to expand beyond the United States.
“For years, we have expressed our desire to race outside of the U.S., and now it has evolved from a question of if, to when,” he remarked. “I’m more confident than ever that we are moving closer to that ‘yes, we are going.’ I believe we’ll be there sooner rather than later.”
The Cup Series has not held a race outside the USA since a non-points exhibition in Japan in 1998. Prior to that, there was an exhibition race in Australia in 1988.
In the 1950s, two points-paying Cup races took place in Canada—one in 1952 at Stamford Park, Ontario, and another in 1958 at Canadian Exposition Stadium in Toronto.
The Clash is considered the informal start to the NASCAR season. Traditionally, it was hosted at Daytona International Speedway as a lead-in to the Daytona 500. In 2022, NASCAR made the significant choice to relocate the entire event to Los Angeles, where it has been held at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum on a temporary track for the last three years, garnering impressive viewership relative to other events in the season.
