It was a nice summer day in Montreal, in 2012, as the stock car monsters of the NASCAR Xfinity series roared on Canada’s iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve which has been the host to Formula 1 since 1978. The stands were packed with fans as the Xfinity Series cars went around the 2.7-mile track. Montreal had welcomed NASCAR with open arms, with Canada playing host for NASCAR since 2007, but the series eventually returned to the US never to come back, until now.

The motorsports scene has been evolving in Canada for a long time and has only gotten stronger in recent years. The Formula 1 Grand Prix in Canada has become a cornerstone of the racing culture in the country. In over 50 years, Canada has not only cemented its place as one of motorsport’s big names but also built infrastructure for racing and a very large and loyal fan base.

And this growth and popularity of motorsports in Canada is what NASCAR is trying to capitalize on.

Riding the F1 wave: NASCAR eyes a return to Canada

Recent reports are suggesting that NASCAR is planning to make a return to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal with its Xfinity and truck series in 2026 and Cup Series to follow them in 2027. The timing of this venture is not a coincidence. With Formula 1 planning to shift the Canadian Grand Prix to May in 2026, it leaves the summer open for other motorsports events. NASCAR is planning to slide into this gap that aligns with its vision statement of introducing the sport to a new audience.

Ever since NASCAR announced its plans to race in Mexico, they have been exploring other options that could be added to their schedule. NASCAR managing director Brad Moran didn’t hesitate about dropping major hints while speaking on SiriusXM. “We have a big driver on going global. We’d love to go to Brazil, Canada and Europe. Mexico is our first stop on the global stage so we’ve got a lot of energy put into this.”

NASCAR hasn’t taken their premier series to Canada ever since the Great White North in 1958. This was a time when the drivers raced inside the now-demolished Canadian National Exhibition Stadium. And it was the legendary driver Lee Petty who would return home with a win. Interestingly, Lee Petty’s son Richard Petty would also make his debut at the track and from then on he would go on to win 200 races and seven championships. So, NASCAR does have a history of racing north of the border, and it would be a massive step for them to add another international date to their schedule.

Although the success of past Xfinity Series races in Montreal also supports this expansion move, while not pulling crowds like the globally renowned sport such as F1, those races still attracted sizable crowds, enough to show that NASCAR can indeed work in Canada. After all, F1 has managed to establish itself in the US market with three Grand Prix per year at different locations. So, it’s about time NASCAR hops onto this bandwagon and expands beyond traditional borders. 

This idea might sound ambitious and welcoming at first, but if these rumors were to be true NASCAR would have to sort out a big issue. One that could lead to a major backlash from their traditional fan base.

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Is NASCAR open to replacing an oval track with another road course international race?

Road racing has been a regular theme in NASCAR racing season these days. Gone are the days when you had one-off events and drivers didn’t really prepare for them. In 2025 alone, there’s a total of five road course events line for the year, and not to forget there’s also the Street Race in Chicago. NASCAR had to make some tough calls to facilitate their big international gig in Mexico, and with a new race on the horizon, one of the existing dates had to take a backseat.

Ideally, a road course event swap would’ve made sense, but NASCAR stunned everyone by taking away a date from Richmond Raceway. There was an option to do away with the Charlotte Roval road course race, but instead, a short-oval track was snubbed to facilitate NASCAR’s ambitious driver. So if NASCAR were to add another international race to the schedule, one of the existing events would be deprived of their dates. So it is a tricky territory and NASCAR will have to tread carefully.

Chief International Officer Chad Seigler is aware of this scenario unfolding and understands that NASCAR can never become Formula 1. “We have the individual series and our philosophy has always been, we know we can’t take the Cup Series and have it travel around like Formula One does, so if we can go into a market and create local stars, local heroes, local team owners, local track infrastructure, that’s good for us.”

Another international series with NASCAR nurturing local heroes and drivers is something that can work in their favor. In return, those drivers could test their mettle competing in the United States. Now that’s the strategy that might work wonders for the sport, but again it will be interesting to see what their approach will be with a potential return to Canada.