NASCAR trying to expand beyond America isn’t a recent strategy. It’s been decades since those attempts, which started from Japan in the 90s, to Mexico and Canada later. But the real question is, why? Why does NASCAR want to move past their loyal fanbase and go into uncharted territories? Maybe the answer lies in the debate that two veterans recently shared on this.

Jeff Burton explained the international push for the NASCAR schedule

In a recent episode of the Herm & Schrader podcast, Kenny Wallace asked Jeff Burton about the sudden ‘obsession’ of NASCAR wanting to go overseas. Burton said, “It’s a great question, I think it’s just trying to grow the sport. Ultimately, everything that we have talked about today, is about trying to grow the sport and finding the right way to do that. I don’t know the right answer, I believe in my heart, going to Canada makes a ton of sense. Did you ever run that Canada race?”

Wallace did confess that he feels that Canada ideally does not count as foreign soil for him, as it feels like a neighboring state thanks to the love of the fans they receive. Even Burton admitted that the Canadians are big NASCAR fans. The bottom line is that the conversation largely pertains to growing the sport. The 58-year-old has insisted that it is important to act if they really want to bring about a change.

He continued, “How can we grow the sport, and those are decisions that Ben Kennedy talked about earlier. Having those discussions about what is the right thing to do. Again, if you don’t ever do anything, you’re going to fail.”

NASCAR executive and the great-grandson of Bill France Sr., Ben Kennedy, is playing an active role in how to best expand the sport. He’s repeatedly mentioned in public before how international venues are on their radar “to bring NASCAR racing to other parts of the world.”

But the primary reason for this that Burton mentions is to not be stagnant and do take action if you want growth.

Burton then added, “When do you do something different? That’s the most difficult part of the decisions we have to make in our lives and NASCAR has to make. When do you do something different and what is that different? You can’t always stay the same. The Model T was awesome until the next car was built, that was a whole lot better. This thing right here, no one knew we needed it.”

The timing of when to make the change is equally as important than the change too. As he says, change is not an option; it’s an essential element to grow from where you are right now. You wouldn’t know there’s something better out there unless you don’t take that step.

This shows how Burton’s views match the France family’s. That evolution is necessary to keep the sport relevant in today’s times.

Meanwhile, aside from expansion, Burton also spoke about the reflections of the new format change.

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Burton gives a reality check on the change

Since NASCAR has gone back to Chase, everyone is looking forward to what happens next to the sport now, in terms of drivers being rewarded fairly once again. However, Jeff Burton gave a bit of a reality check on it, implying how change won’t come in a day.

“Do I think starting at Daytona, we’re now all going to all of a sudden have the largest viewership ever in the history of the Daytona 500 because this change was made? I don’t think that. No. I think we’re going to have to build our sport a day at a time, an hour at a time, a race at a time. There is no magic pill.”

One rule change cannot instantly fix everything. And especially the way the past one was critisized, it’s wounds will surely take time to heal. Whether it was Connor Zilisch or Denny Hamlin’s title losses, a lot of that will be rubbed off in the new season.

He simply says how sustainable growth needs some patience and consistency. There’s no shortcut to it.