NASCAR expands global reach with upcoming Mexico City race
NASCAR Vice President Steve O'Donnell welcomed the crowd in Spanish. After a brief question-and-answer session on stage with drivers Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suárez, Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott, the drivers conducted one-on-one interviews with an enthusiastic Mexican media contingent.
'I would say today was awesome,' O'Donnell said afterward. 'You always think about all the work that goes into prepping for events, and to see it come to fruition, to see the enthusiasm today from the drivers — obviously they've been here taking in the culture, learning about things they aren't normally exposed to — I think they'll take that excitement back to the U.S. and talk to the other drivers and people in the industry, and that will get them more excited for the event too.
'When you come to a new venue, particularly in a new country, seeing people who may not understand the sport but want to learn, and seeing their enthusiasm for NASCAR, is awesome. And it kind of refreshes you. This is what the sport's all about, and we're lucky we get to do what we do.'
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The program included a preview of the upcoming Netflix docuseries NASCAR: Full Speed. A featured clip highlighted Suárez, the first Mexican-born driver to win in NASCAR's top series, who emotionally shared that he did not come from a wealthy family and relied on talent and perseverance to reach the highest level of the sport.
'I have done some things that seemed impossible by following my dreams,' Suárez said in the film.
On stage, Suárez recalled an emotional moment early in his career when he sought advice from 10 close confidants about whether he should move from Mexico to the United States to pursue a NASCAR career. Eight of them told him no. But he listened to the other two, moving to North Carolina, where he learned English and survived on very little money.
In 2016, the Monterrey, Mexico, native won the Xfinity Series championship. Since then, he has earned two Cup Series victories and made two playoff appearances with the latest coming last year.
'All the complications actually made the journey,' the Trackhouse Racing driver said. 'This is a dream, and I'm trying to enjoy every single minute of it.'
That passion is what draws fans to the sport — both die-hard and new. For Suárez, the opportunity to return to Mexico as a top-tier driver for a top-tier team is something he doesn't take for granted. His inspiring journey wasn't lost on his fellow NASCAR Cup Series stars sitting beside him on stage.
Chase Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and the sport's perpetually voted Most Popular Driver, called his time in Mexico City this week — and the chance to return for the race — 'a great honor for all of us involved.' He thanked the community for greeting them with 'open arms.'
'All we ask for is the opportunity, and you have given that to us,' said Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
MORE: Cup Series driver explore Mexico City
Bell, last week's winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway, also noted the warm reception they have received—from touring the track at the famous Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to sampling authentic tacos and attending a Lucha Libre wrestling match Tuesday night.
Not only is NASCAR experiencing a new culture, but the sport is also bringing a new experience to the Mexican people and the large international crowd expected to attend the three-day event in downtown Mexico City.
'I love, love the fact of diversifying the schedule and going to new venues,' said Bell, a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and the most recent Cup Series winner, while speaking with a group of Mexican media members.
'You just want the crowd to turn out, and you want crowd engagement. Based on what we've experienced this week and what we know is to come, I think that's going to happen here in Mexico,' he added. 'I think it's going to be a banner weekend, and the crowd seems like it's going to be very engaged and show up in a big way.'
'I'm a big advocate of going to different venues, and coming here — this is a world-class facility. It's a place we should be coming to. It's going to be fun seeing it all unfold.'
As event executive Federico Alamán González said with a smile and in perfect English:
'Gentlemen, start your engines!'
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