Steve O’Donnell appears determined to win back NASCAR fans. After Steve Phelps’ departure amid controversy during the NASCAR lawsuit, O’Donnell is shifting the focus toward strengthening the sport itself. Under Phelps, the Cup Series ventured into new territory, with the Mexico City race highlighting that global push. But with discussions about Brazil and further international expansion, O’Donnell now seems intent on taking a more localized approach.

When asked whether O’Donnell would like to stick to Phelps’ global dream, the 57-year-old did not hesitate to agree.

“I do 1000%, but I think you gotta make sure that I’ll go back with a quick history lesson for us,” he said on The Varsity podcast. “A lot of our fans kind of in North Carolina, South Carolina felt like NASCAR abandoned them, and we learned a lot of lessons doing that… if you go to a Chicago or Chicago street race, go to Mexico City, you couple that with maybe off-points race or an exhibition at a short track within the US where we’re showcasing kind of our grassroots as well. I think that’s the model is mixing and matching both.”

Phelps’ bid to thrust NASCAR outside of the US was definitely successful, given the 2025 Cup Series race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, marking the first points-paying event outside the US in nearly 7 decades.

But he didn’t treat the event as a one-off. He openly discussed NASCAR’s broader global vision, including interest in future races in Brazil and possibly beyond, acknowledging the challenges while stressing the importance of expanding the sport’s footprint and connecting with millions of new potential fans.

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And while NASCAR has been chasing new markets within the USA, including the San Diego race in June 2026, O’Donnell wants to make things more local.

O’Donnell acknowledges that NASCAR has been losing touch with some of its traditional roots. Over the past two decades, several historic cup venues were dropped from the schedule as NASCAR chased larger markets for new fan experiences.

Tracks like Rockingham Speedway, once a Cup regular, sat dormant for years, and fans watched other classics fade or shift to lower-tier events while the marquee Clash and exhibition races bounced between places like the Los Angeles Colosseum, the Chicago Street course, and Bowman Gray Stadium.

This rotation of non-traditional venues has drawn mixed reactions, leaving nostalgic fans longing for the ovals and short tracks that generations first fell in love with.

That nostalgia runs deep in the NASCAR community, and it’s part of why new leadership under Steve O’Donnell has signaled a shift in strategy. But as venues are getting put in place, O’Donnell may have other plans to shake up NASCAR’s lengthy and busy calendar.

O’Donnell teases major changes in NASCAR Cup schedule

The NASCAR Cup Series currently spans 38 points races over roughly 40 weeks, running from February to November. For most of that stretch, teams are on track nearly every weekend with little downtime.

NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell acknowledged that, while the format has worked, the long grind of the season isn’t necessarily set in stone.

Drivers and plenty of fans have voiced concerns over the years about the lack of off weeks and the overall length of the schedule. By the time the playoffs arrive, the calendar overlaps with football season, and some viewers inevitably shift their attention to the NFL.

That reality has fueled debate about whether a shorter, more streamlined schedule could help maintain energy and viewership deeper into the year.

Speaking on The Varsity podcast, O’Donnell said NASCAR leadership has already begun discussing what the sport could look like in 2030 and beyond.

“We just had a discussion, actually two hours ago, about 2030, 2031, and if you had a clean sheet of paper, what would the sport look like? Is there a number of races that would make more sense? Could it be 30? Could it be more? Could you have midweek races that, you know, shorten the season? So, I would say all that’s on the table,” he said.

Even though the playoff format has been eliminated by the new Chase, a break would do no harm. With several years before the next major media cycle, the door appears open for meaningful change.