NASCAR has gone through several notable changes over the past year, both on and off track, such as former commissioner Steve Phelps' departure. While the sport continues to evolve under the ownership of the France family, work behind the scenes has continued as the sanctioning body focuses on its long-term vision. 

Phelps was announced as NASCAR’s first Commissioner, with his new role centred on strategic growth and international expansion. However, in January 2026, he stepped down from his role, leaving questions about who will look after the international expansion. 

During a recent interview with Adam Stern for the Sports Business Journal, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell revealed that the organization has hired Adam Layton to oversee the international expansion efforts. Layton will also be responsible for strategy development, event operations, and revenue generation across all three divisions of the series. 

"We have racing series [in foreign countries], but we’re really taking a hard look at where we can go with the sport internationally," O’Donnell told SBJ. "[We] certainly want to maximize what we’re doing in North America, but we believe we have some really great opportunities internationally as well."

The NASCAR CEO further explained that the ultimate goal is not just to get Cup races internationally but also to grow the sport's global brand. 

"That doesn’t necessarily mean Cup. It means developing the brand with the ultimate goal, when you talk to people, to be the biggest form of sports and entertainment in the world. We’ve got a ways to go to get there, but that’s the goal. And so we want to rally everyone around that, work together and see what we need to do in each of those areas," O'Donnell added.

NASCAR has already established its international presence. They have previously hosted races in Mexico, Canada, Europe, and Brazil. O’Donnell also revealed that the sanctioning body has considered Canada, Europe, and England for future races.

With Adam Layton now overseeing NASCAR’s international expansion efforts, the organisation appears intent on building on the groundwork laid by Steve Phelps. Under the France family’s ownership, the sport's ambition to grow its global presence remains unchanged. 

NASCAR explores the idea of racing on the Golden Gate Bridge 

Over the years, NASCAR has explored several ambitious ideas through unique venues and race formats. One of the boldest concepts involved racing at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

After the grand success of the San Diego race at the Naval Base, NASCAR COO Ben Kennedy, great-grandson of Bill France Sr., has been looking into adding more one-of-a-kind street races to the calendar. 

While talking to the Sports Business Journal’s Tom Friend in June, Kennedy spoke about the team’s brainstorming session. He said, 

"Yeah, we talked about the Golden Gate Bridge. We thought that would be really cool. You’d go across the bridge. But couldn’t really come up with a course that made sense, though. And we know closing down that road would be a large lift."

This sounds like a wild idea. But NASCAR is known for its bold decisions, some of which have paid off this year, like the return of The Chase. 

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak