Motor racing-NASCAR brings American thunder to Mexico City in expansion drive
FILE PHOTO: May 24, 2025; Concord, North Carolina, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez (99) during qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images/File Photo
(Reuters) -The throaty roar of NASCAR Cup Series engines will reverberate through the Valley of Mexico this weekend, marking a bold international gambit for America's beloved motorsport as it races beyond its traditional borders.
The ambitious cross-border event required substantial logistical efforts to bring the entire racing circus down south, amid recent protests in Los Angeles and complex U.S.-Mexico relations as well as stricter border controls under President Donald Trump's administration.
For Daniel Suarez, who carries the hopes of a nation as one of only three Mexicans ever to reach NASCAR's premier division, the Mexico City race transforms him from competitor to cultural ambassador.
"It's a great privilege to represent all Mexico. This isn't just another race on the calendar," Suarez told Reuters.
"I'm very fortunate not only for my country, but for the whole Latin America region. It's not pressure as I love it, this is more like motivation, to go race in front of my people."
The cultural collision is set to be a striking one.
NASCAR brings its distinctly blue-collar heritage, born when Prohibition-era bootleggers modified cars to outrun the authorities, to a nation where racing fans have traditionally embraced Formula One's technical sophistication through local hero and former driver Sergio "Checo" Perez.
However, NASCAR's arrival illuminates potential pathways for emerging talents like Regina Sivient, who recently made history as the first Mexican woman competing in the ARCA Menards Series, the minor, semi-professional stock car racing league that provides a pathway into NASCAR's three national touring series.
"The most important thing about NASCAR coming to Mexico is that it gives us exposure," Sivient told Reuters.
"When we saw Checo Perez in F1, being in the spotlight meant many Mexicans got to know him, that we drivers supported him, and that he received sponsorship from brands. In the end, as athletes that's what we want and what the sport needs to grow".
As engines prepare to roar, the question is not whether NASCAR can follow the NBA and NFL in establishing Mexican footholds, but how quickly the quintessentially American motorsport might transform itself from curious novelty to beloved fixture in Mexico's sporting identity.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Derek Warwick suspended as F1 Steward for media remarks
FORMULA One's governing body suspended former racer Derek Warwick as Canadian Grand Prix steward on Friday for unauthorised media comments about current drivers. The FIA did not specify what the 70-year-old Briton, who raced from 1981 to 1993, had said but media reports said Warwick had been quoted by a betting platform talking about the Spanish Grand Prix. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen was handed three penalty points in Spain for a collision on June 1 with Mercedes George Russell, a sanction that left the Dutch driver one point away from a ban. 'Following recent unauthorised media comments, the FIA has taken the decision to suspend Derek Warwick from his duties as driver steward for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix,' the governing body said in a statement. 'He will be replaced by Enrique Bernoldi who will be officiating from the remote operations centre in Geneva for the remainder of the event. 'After discussion Derek acknowledges that his comments were ill-advised in his role as an FIA steward and has apologised. Derek will resume his duties as a steward in the forthcoming Austrian Grand Prix.' Warwick is the second steward to be dropped this year for unauthorised comments, with compatriot Johnny Herbert suffering that fate in January because his work as a media pundit was declared incompatible with the role.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Former F1 racer Warwick suspended as Canadian GP steward
FORMULA One's governing body suspended former racer Derek Warwick as Canadian Grand Prix steward on Friday for unauthorised media comments about current drivers. The FIA did not specify what the 70-year-old Briton, who raced from 1981 to 1993, had said but media reports said Warwick had been quoted by a betting platform talking about the Spanish Grand Prix. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen was handed three penalty points in Spain for a collision on June 1 with Mercedes George Russell, a sanction that left the Dutch driver one point away from a ban. 'Following recent unauthorised media comments, the FIA has taken the decision to suspend Derek Warwick from his duties as driver steward for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix,' the governing body said in a statement. 'He will be replaced by Enrique Bernoldi who will be officiating from the remote operations centre in Geneva for the remainder of the event. 'After discussion Derek acknowledges that his comments were ill-advised in his role as an FIA steward and has apologised. Derek will resume his duties as a steward in the forthcoming Austrian Grand Prix.' Warwick is the second steward to be dropped this year for unauthorised comments, with compatriot Johnny Herbert suffering that fate in January because his work as a media pundit was declared incompatible with the role.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Rugby-Coach Penney credits Crusaders' patience after securing Super Rugby final berth
(Reuters) -Coach Rob Penney credited the Canterbury Crusaders' management for their patience after guiding his team to the Super Rugby Pacific final with victory over the Auckland Blues on Friday, 12 months after missing out on the playoffs. Penney led the Crusaders to a 21-14 win in Christchurch as Super Rugby's most dominant outfit extended their remarkable unbeaten run in playoff matches on home soil to 31 victories over the last three decades. The win came a year after the Crusaders decided to stick with Penney despite his failure to qualify the team for the playoffs, and that decision has now paid off with a return to the series final. "I will put a wee shout out to the management," said Penney. "Last year was a challenge and they were under the pump. They showed great courage in allowing me to have another one. "And there may be a lesson in the future for some other people, that if they trust the coach in one year, you know, maybe they should let them carry on. If things turn around, great. "But I just can't speak highly enough of the people that I work for. It's a wonderful organisation, as everyone knows, and it's a privilege and an honour." Penney was appointed by the Crusaders having previously been sacked by the New South Wales Waratahs, where his 18-month spell in charge came to an end after his side lost the first five matches of their 2021 Super Rugby campaign. He took over as Crusaders coach in June 2023 when Scott Robertson, who had led his team to seven consecutive Super Rugby titles, departed to take charge of the All Blacks. Penney's side won four of 14 matches during his first season in charge, but the Crusaders go into Saturday's final having secured 11 regular season victories before sealing playoff wins over the Queensland Reds and the Blues. The 61-year-old now stands on the cusp of his first Super Rugby title as a coach, with his team due to play either the ACT Brumbies or the Waikato Chiefs in the decider. "You'd have to say the Chiefs have been awesome all year and they'll be a massive challenge, but whoever comes out on top will be a massive challenge," he said of his team's potential opponents. "We've done nothing yet except get ourselves there." (Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
