NASCAR is reportedly adding a race in Mexico in 2025, but will Kyle Busch even be allowed in after being sentenced to 3 years in prison?

Will Kyle be forced to miss this one?

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar won’t be announced for several months, but speculation is already rampant regarding a few new tracks that could be added.

According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, one of the major speculations is that NASCAR will hold a race in Mexico City, south of the border.

To be honest, this wouldn’t come as a huge surprise. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez road course in Mexico City hosted the Xfinity Series from 2005–2006, the first time NASCAR held races in Mexico. It’s also common knowledge that NASCAR has been itching to travel abroad in an effort to broaden the sport’s appeal in recent years, with races in Canada reportedly being considered.

As we wait to find out if drivers will actually need to renew their passports for 2025, everyone is also wondering if Kyle Busch is even permitted in Mexico.

Recall that in January 2023, the driver of Richard Childress Racing’s #8 car said he had been arrested in Mexico during airport security checks after a pistol was found in his luggage.

Busch made a comment about the situation at the time.

Samantha and I had a great few days of vacation in Mexico at the end of January. My firearm was detected during standard airport screening while I was leaving the country.

I abide by all handgun regulations and have a valid concealed carry permit from my local authorities, but I made the error of forgetting it was in my backpack.

When the firearm was found, I was taken into custody until the matter was handled. I had no intention of taking a pistol into Mexico and was unaware of the laws there.

I took the consequences, cooperated completely with the police, and left for North Carolina as soon as it was found.

I acknowledge my error and thank everyone for their cooperation in getting the issue rectified. My family and I believe that this matter is resolved.

Authorities in Mexico claim that Busch admitted confessing to the accusations and received a sentence of three years and six months in prison:

“The inmate, originating from Nevada, was planning to travel to the United States of America, but as he was checking his luggage through the platform’s RX, a pistol-caliber weapon was found inside.380 with a a magazine full of six functional hollow point rounds.

Because of the aforementioned, on January 29 of this year, the Federal Public Ministry Agent brought it before the Control Judge, who declared the detention to be lawful, connected it to the proceedings, and imposed a punishment using a shortened method.

Busch claimed to have “accepted the penalties” and to have closed the case, but neither he nor the other party had disclosed whether Busch would have to serve out his term or if it had been suspended in favor of a fine.

So the question still stands: Is Kyle Busch a wanted person in Mexico?

It goes without saying that Busch won’t be allowed to race in Mexico in 2025 if the government still intends to imprison him for three and a half years if he enters. And if that were the case, NASCAR would undoubtedly grant him a waiver for the event; they most certainly don’t want to make a driver risk being arrested in order to participate in a race.

I suppose the only thing left to do is wait and see if Busch can still enter Mexico or if he will be taking an extra weekend off in 2025.