2025 NASCAR Schedule: Despite Fans’ Outrage, NASCAR Eyeing Commercial Success With Controversial Talladega Shakeup

We are just one race away from the playoffs, and the stakes are higher than usual! With a new underdog in the playoffs in the form of Harrison Burton, who knows what can happen anymore? As the playoffs are about to start soon, there is one thing we know. NASCAR has already started working on the 2025 season calendar.

This is a known fact because of the rumors of adding the famous Mexico City track to the calendar, bringing back an international Cup Series race after 67 years. So far, many drivers and fans have come forward to talk about the new race in Mexico, but another man to make a say was Ben Kennedy. The Vice President of NASCAR has been busy as of late, as adding a new race to the calendar is no easy task. However, that is not the only thing that Kenndy is working on for 2025.

Ben Kennedy wants to change the 2025 playoff structure

With so much happening in the NASCAR world, it’s hard to keep up with everything. But it is Ben Kennedy’s job as a VP to know and manage most of the major decisions around the sport. Recently, he announced that the officials are currently debating about the 2025 playoff structure. The plan is to move Talladega from the usual spot of round 12, which is the quarterfinals, to round 8, which puts it into the semifinals.

This decision increases the weight of the 500-mile race in the playoffs, as the challenging circuit will have a role in determining the top 4 drivers of the season. The news was made public by Jordan Bianchi from the Athletic, and ever since then, the questions asked to NASCAR began. But it is not only Talladega that will be different during the playoffs; according to the reports, Darlington, Gateway, and New Hampshire will be added to the playoff calendar.

With so much news crashing down on fans, they all wanted to know what NASCAR was planning, and Bob Pockrass decided to be their spokesperson as he called Ben Kenndy to clear out the doubts. Kennedy told Pockrass, “Bob, you know something that we debated as a group quite a bit.” Revealing what was going on at the official end of NASCAR, Kennedy spoke about Talladega, saying, “It’s one of our bigger events. If you look at ratings, peership numbers, and attendance numbers, it’s one of the highest we have the entire season. So, it’s a big event for us.”

Considering how important the race is for NASCAR, he explained, “I think as you look at the round of eight, having a huge market like Las Vegas going to Talladega is superspeedway.” Kennedy decided to think from a different perspective as he discussed the “interesting proposition.” Since Talladega is known for its unpredictability, it’s less likely that one of the top eight championship contenders will win there, which means drivers can’t just rely on a single race to make it to the finals.

Ultimately, after receiving mixed reactions from fans, there is no official announcement if they will be implementing the change. It’s not very often that we get to hear Ben Kennedy make public statements, so here is what he had to say about the upcoming Mexico City race in 2025.

Kennedy talks about the Mexico City Circuit added to the Cup Series

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The news of Mexico City being added to the Cup Series calendar has many fans excited to see the sport extend its arms to neighboring countries. Although Mexico has its own series, this will be the first time that drivers will be able to score Cup points there. This being the first time, makes it a historic event in the long years of the sport, and the race is scheduled for Sunday, June 15, 2025. Kennedy believes that the move to Mexico is “huge.”

NASCAR’s VP believes that this will help grow the sport significantly across the borders of the USA and he sees this as a step that can open doors to new markets. During the official announcement of the Mexico City track, Kennedy stated, “It’s going to be a big project for us. There’s a lot of questions that we have. I’m sure that the industry will have some questions as well, but excited to take this on and to go to one of the biggest markets.”

With such changes occurring in NASCAR 2025, do you think it will make the sport more enjoyable, or is this something that the core fans will dislike? Share your thoughts in the comments below.