The 2026 NASCAR schedules feature some new territories, including a street race on an active military base. However, the Pacific Northwest and the nation of Canada are both absent.
According to NASCAR, both areas remain points of emphasis even though the secondary series will not return to Portland next year. They just won't be on the schedule until 2027 at the earliest.
"We'd love to be in the Pacific Northwest at some point," Ben Kennedy, EVP and chief venue and racing innovation officer, said on Wednesday. "I think we've said this a couple times --We're always looking at new markets we could go and explore in the future, and the Pacific Northwest has always been high on our list.
"Whether that's the Seattle area, the Portland region, or I would even toss Colorado, even though it's not on the West Coast, Colorado is another market that we would like to go and explore in the future."
NASCAR has competed in the Pacific Northwest the last few years, but only with the Xfinity Series. The secondary series first traveled to Portland International Raceway in 2022 before returning in 2023 and 2024. The series will head to the Oregon road course next weekend, but will not travel back in 2026.
This could create the idea that NASCAR is abandoning the Pacific Northwest. Kennedy pushes back against that. He noted that NASCAR is having conversations with track owners and operations in the area and that they would love to have the Cup Series head to that part of the country. Nothing has really "come to fruition" just yet.
What about Montreal and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which has remained a rumored destination for the Cup Series for multiple seasons? It appeared that the road course would join the Cup Series schedule in either 2024 or 2025, but this did not happen. Instead, Iowa Speedway and Mexico City joined the schedule in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Iowa is back for 2026, but Mexico City is off the schedule due to numerous logistical concerns. For example, Mexico City will be one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026. NASCAR's hope is that Mexico City returns in 2027.
Montreal also remains absent from the 2026 schedule despite reports from a Quebec newspaper that negotiations were taking place to bring Truck and Xfinity Series teams to Montreal next year.
NASCAR will not return to Canada just yet, but the 2027 season remains a possibility as the sport tries to build its international footprint. For now, the main additions to the schedule will remain San Diego, Chicagoland, and a North Wilkesboro points race.
"We'd love to be both north of the border and south of the border in the future and potentially beyond that at some point," Kennedy said. "We've had a handful of conversations with a few groups north of the border interested in a national series race. We haven't been able to deliver that yet.
"But I would say that is something that we're taking a look at as we think about 2027 and beyond. We have some good relationships up there. I think the good news is we have experience bringing both our O'Reilly Series and our Craftsman Truck Series north of the border with a handful of promoters. Nothing to report today, obviously, but something that is high on our consideration set for '27."