NASCAR's Mexico City race: How a historic event overcame skepticism and delays
Shane Van Gisbergen, center, celebrates at the Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race with second place Christopher Bell, left, and third place Chase Elliott at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Shane Van Gisbergen, center, celebrates at the Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race with second place Christopher Bell, left, and third place Chase Elliott at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Despite the handful of industry insiders too scared to leave their hotels in Mexico City, NASCAR's first international Cup Series race of the modern era was a cultural experience that brought new fans to the series and provided its competitors with a chance to enjoy a new country.
The event had its detractors — rumors persisted for months that it would be canceled over security concerns or the escalating tensions between the United States and Mexico — and some NASCAR team members remained critical all the way through Sunday's race.
Advertisement
But was it a success? Even with travel delays, hotel room snafus and confusion over shuttle transportation, it was unequivocally a shining moment for NASCAR.
'Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations,' said Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey-born NASCAR driver who was the face of the three-day weekend. 'The people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy. I had expectations for this weekend... and I can tell you that I personally exceeded those expectations.'
The idea to try the road course at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — host of one of the most popular Formula 1 events on that calendar — was the brainchild of Ben Kennedy, executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovations officer. The great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. has been aggressive in shaking up a schedule that went to the same tracks on the same weekends for decades.
Bringing the Cup Series to Mexico City — only the third race outside the U.S. in 77 years — was a chance to expose stock car racing to a new demographic and give Mexican fans their first chance to see the series race live.
Advertisement
'This was a historic moment for our sport, for Mexico, and for the global motorsports community,' Kennedy said after Shane Van Gisbergen won Sunday's race to lock the New Zealander into the playoffs.
'One of the coolest parts about this weekend was seeing the reaction of the fans. I had the opportunity to go into the stands a few times,' he continued, 'the energy and the passion of the fans here is unmatched.'
Kennedy said 90% of those in attendance were from Mexico, with 44% from Mexico City. Most important, there were 'a lot of new fans coming out of this weekend.'
Will NASCAR return?
Even so, Kennedy could not guarantee another race in Mexico City. FIFA has World Cup games scheduled for this same week next year and there are the logistical issues of finding a date during a packed 38-week schedule.
Advertisement
The cars had to leave Michigan International Speedway immediately after last week's race to make the 40-hour journey across the border, and now must get to Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania in time for this weekend's race.
'I want to go everywhere in the world — England, Germany, South America, Australia, every where we can go,' said Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, the vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports. "The next thing that makes sense in Canada. But we have to figure out the schedule before we do too much of this.
'We can't do this. Michigan, Mexico City, back to Pocono, can't happen. We're doing it and we're excited to take on the challenge, but it's going to wear on us and I don't think we can do it all back-to-back. So we've got to make some adjustments to the schedule and how do we fit it all in into what's already a very difficult schedule.'
Where will NASCAR go next?
Advertisement
Nothing is off the table for Kennedy, who is globally exploring where NASCAR can race and showcase its product.
One glaring issue: Those in the industry who remain comfortable with the same old schedule of traveling to Bristol, Tennessee, and Martinsville, Virginia, and Darlington Raceway in South Carolina twice a year.
While those markets are tied deeply to NASCAR's Southern roots, there isn't room for growth in playing to the same crowds over and over. The pushback on Mexico City didn't come from any high-profile drivers, but Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s spotter had a scathing social media post ripping the city in which he said 'screw this place, people can talk it up all they want' and 22-year-old driver Carson Hocevar had a similar sentiment in derisive comments on a live stream he has since walked back.
'Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should never give an opinion about what any place is like other than (hometown) Portage, Michigan,' Hocevar posted on social media. "I was skeptical about the trip and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here.
Advertisement
'Now that I've actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I've ever seen, my opinion has changed,' he continued. 'I am embarrassed by my comments.'
A cultural field trip
This was baffling to some of the more well-traveled drivers, including Kyle Larson, who has raced at 200-plus different tracks around the world and makes annual trips to Australia and New Zealand. He also attended the 2021 Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi and then vacationed in Dubai.
He likened Mexico City to a field trip for NASCAR because the drivers all stayed in the same hotels and rode buses together to the circuit each day. On a normal weekend, they are holed up in their motorhomes at the track and rarely venture out.
Advertisement
'It's honestly really fun and enjoyable to be around your competitors and get to know each other a bit better because on a typical weekend, we just kind of lock ourselves in wherever we're at,' he said. "We don't talk to anybody or anything. So it's nice that, yeah, you're almost forced to hang out with each other. It's cool. You get to know them, so I've enjoyed that.'
Even Kyle Busch, who was arrested in Mexico in 2023 for carrying a concealed weapon, was surprised by the few who had a negative response to racing in Mexico City.
'The food is amazing, the city has some of the top restaurants in the world,' Busch said. 'This is a great place to be and I don't understand the people holed up in their hotels too scared to leave. Live a little.'
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
NASCAR in Mexico City: Should the series return in 2026 for another Cup race?
NASCAR in Mexico City: Should the series return in 2026 for another Cup race? Show Caption Hide Caption Jeff Gordon reflects on how to grow NASCAR's popularity Jeff Gordon discusses the popularity of NASCAR and how the sport can continue to grow. Sports Seriously For the first time since 1958, NASCAR's top level raced on international asphalt and it counted for points. The Viva Mexico 250 saw the grid take on the unique challenge of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. It's one of the toughest tracks on the calendar considering the altitude (7,349 feet) and road track layout. The light rain before the green flag waved added an extra wrinkle to the racing. It was befitting that the winner of NASCAR's first international race in decades is an international driver. Trackhouse Racing's Shane van Gisbergen, a native of New Zealand, earned his second career Cup Series win and a spot in the 10-race playoffs later this year. It came in dominant fashion with van Gisbergen taking pole position and leading 60 of the 100 laps. He took first as Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and Michael McDowell rounded out the top five finishers. This was a new experience for one of the oldest racing formulas in the world. Was it worth the trip? Here's what we think. NASCAR in Mexico City verdict There were logistical issues with international flights and shuttles getting to and from the track, but once the drivers arrived, they were greeted like rockstars. Middle-of-the-pack drivers like Todd Gilliland, who has just two top-10 finishes this season, had a crowd of fans welcoming him at the track. Fans at the infamous stadium section of the track stayed after the second-tier NASCAR Xfinity race on Saturday, June 14 to high-five drivers and crew members alike as they left for the day. These are notoriously passionate motorsports fans, and they certainly lived up to that billing for NASCAR. Road races can be tough, and this one even more so with the altitude and mixed conditions. Some of the drivers were also dealing with stomach issues, van Gisbergen included, which threw another wrinkle into preparations on race day. Few drivers were outspoken against making the trip, but one notably had a major change in tune. Carson Hocevar had ripped the sport's decision to come to Mexico City on a livestream prior to the race. "If the travel was better, if getting here was easier, if you felt safer getting to and from everywhere, if it wasn't such a (expletive), if the track limits were a little better enforced, if it was going to be a little bit better of a race, and it wasn't so easy to, or feel so locked down like you can't leave anywhere, it'd be a great experience," he said. Come Sunday night, Hocevar took to social media to take back his comments. "Now that I've actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I've ever seen, my opinion has changed," Hocevar wrote on X. "I am embarrassed by my comments." Cup Series champions Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch were both strong supporters of the race. 'The food is amazing, the city has some of the top restaurants in the world,' Busch said per the Associated Press. 'This is a great place to be and I don't understand the people holed up in their hotels too scared to leave. Live a little.' Should NASCAR race in Mexico City again? A new course is always a challenge. There were some logistical issues with travel, but that's likely to crop up in some way at every new venue NASCAR visits. It gets amplified in an international track. Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president and chief venue & racing innovation officer, built up this race since its announcement last August and he was "proud" of how the weekend turned out. Before van Gisbergen took to victory lane, his Trackhouse Racing teammate and Monterrey, Mexico native Daniel Suárez won the Xfinity Race a day prior. It was a near-storybook way for NASCAR to re-introduce itself in the country. 'It couldn't have been any better,' Suárez said. 'I've been here since Tuesday just working, doing promotion for sponsors, for the race itself, for fans. Every single thing that we did exceeded my expectations. The fans were amazing." This opportunity is huge for expanding NASCAR's global reach and crucially bringing in new fans. The country has a well-earned reputation for passionate fans when Formula 1 visits the track in the fall so the appetite for racing is there for in-person spectators. NASCAR is non-committal about Mexico City returning to the calendar next season. It should be back, but scheduling could be an issue considering Mexico will be a host country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this time next year. It could be tough to find another slot in the calendar but it's worth finding a solution. This track is a unique test for drivers and cars alike – given the altitude and layout – with an outstanding fanbase. If the sport wants to tout its drivers as some of the best in the world, this is a key piece to earning that credibility.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Skinner or Pickard? Oilers' Knoblauch still not naming starting goalie for Stanley Cup Final Game 6
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It's anyone's guess who starts in goal for the Edmonton Oilers when they face elimination in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. Coach Kris Knoblauch did not say Monday whether it would be Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard. 'It's who we feel can win us a game,' Knoblauch said after practice. "That's how it's gone in other games, and we'll make that decision.' Skinner was Edmonton's starting goaltender to begin the playoffs, lost the first two games and was replaced by Pickard, who went 6-0 before getting injured. Skinner also started the first four in the final, got pulled twice and for Pickard, who won Game 4 and lost Game 5. 'A strength of our team is that we can go with both guys,' winger Connor Brown said. "They're up for the challenge. I mean, they're both absolute pros. Both have given this their best every time they come in there, and they both work hard, so we're in it as a group.' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins did not practice Monday, though Knoblauch expects the Oilers' longest-tenured player to be in the lineup Tuesday night in Sunrise. That is a constant, even if Nugent-Hopkins is not 100% healthy, though there could be other changes coming. Either Jeff Skinner or Vasily Podkolzin may be ticketed for the press box as a healthy scratch up front, while John Klingberg is a candidate to return on defense. Status quo Panthers Florida will be making no such changes, barring something unforeseen, in the first chance to clinch back-to-back championships. The same 12 forwards and six defensemen who have been in place since A.J. Greer returned from injury in Game 3 figure to be in the lineup again. 'It's all health based,' coach Paul Maurice said. 'We're a pretty healthy team, fortunately, at this point, and we've got good players." That includes Matthew Tkachuk, who missed the remainder of the regular season after getting injured at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. After some ups and downs and uncertainty, he's 'feeling the best' he has during this run. 'I thought there was maybe a 50% chance I wouldn't be playing as close to about a week or five days before the playoffs started,' Tkachuk said. 'Very lucky and fortunate that I've got great trainers and doctors, and they all somehow got me healthy enough to play.' Florida Olympians The Panthers have five players already bound for the 2026 Olympics in Milan: Tkachuk for the U.S., Sam Reinhart for Canada, Aleksander Barkov for Finland, Nico Sturm for Germany and Uvis Balinskis for Latvia. The 12 teams participating unveiled their preliminary six-man rosters Monday. Sturm and Balinskis have not played in the final, but the Olympic announcements put them in the spotlight. 'Being an Olympian is something that not a lot of athletes can say about their careers," Sturm said. 'It's the best athletes in the world from every sport, and it's definitely something that I've marked on my calendar, something that I want to achieve in my career. It'd be a huge accomplish to be able to play there and, once your career's done, to say you participated in the Olympics, I think that's a huge accomplishment not to be understated.'
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Neto, Fernández each score to lead Chelsea over LAFC 2-0 in Club World Cup
ATLANTA (AP) — Pedro Neto scored in the first half and Enzo Fernández in the 79th minute to give Chelsea a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in Group D's Club World Cup opener on Monday. Chelsea put pressure on LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris early into the match. Neto found the breakthrough in the 34th minute, picking up a pass from Nicolas Jackson and cutting onto his left foot for a near-post finish. There were 22,137 fans in attendance at the 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium, many of them backing LAFC. The Black and Gold had positive sparks of energy and possession throughout the first half, but struggled to find any real opportunities in front of goal. LAFC almost got one back just before the 60-minute mark, but Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez came up with an important save to keep Denis Bouanga off the scoresheet. The Black and Gold aimed to get some more experience onto the pitch at the half, bringing on former Chelsea man Olivier Giroud, to no avail. Coming in off the bench, Fernández made no mistake finishing Liam Delap's cross, adding another tally to the scoresheet for The Blues. Key moment Chelsea's day was made even more positive by the debut of Delap, a promising 22-year-old English striker signed from Ipswich Town. Takeaways While Chelsea is the favorite to top Group D, LAFC's next two matches become essential to moving on to the knock-out rounds. LAFC vs. Flamengo will prove to be an entertaining game, with the two sides most likely battling it out for the group's second spot. ___ AP soccer:
