Latest news with #AutódromoHermanosRodríguez
New York Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
NASCAR Mexico City track breakdown: A look at the Cup Series' international circuit
¡Vamos! NASCAR brings its premier Cup Series south of the border this week for its first international points race since 1958, as well as the first-ever Cup Series event in Mexico. This season's signature new event marks a significant step in NASCAR's international plans and a key test to determine if the sport's popularity in the United States, with its unique stock car brand, can be translated elsewhere. Advertisement The timing is especially good given NASCAR has a Mexico native on one of the top teams: Daniel Suárez, who is a two-time Cup Series race winner for Trackhouse Racing — a resume which includes a road course victory at Sonoma Raceway. The race will be held at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, on a road course most known for hosting Formula One grands prix. NASCAR has only slightly modified the track and will use an altered 2.49-mile layout versus F1's 2.67-mile layout; the Cup Series will also have 29 more laps than the F1 race, making it significantly longer (242.9 miles compared to 189.7 miles for F1). 'You can see the excitement from the media people, the venue looks amazing, and I love Mexican food,' said Kyle Larson, who visited the track recently for a promotional event. 'It's going to be a great time, a great event and cool to go race in a different country in front of race fans who maybe have never seen us race in person.' Before NASCAR makes its run for the border, here's what you need to know about Mexico's premier racing circuit. (Note: This section previously appeared in our F1 Mexico City Grand Prix circuit breakdown.) The track's origins are captured in its name, which quite literally translates to 'autodrome of the Rodríguez brothers.' Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez helped increase the popularity of motorsport in Mexico. Their father served as an advisor to Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos, and he suggested the president create a motorsport circuit using existing internal roads in Mexico City's Magdalena Mixiuhca sports park. The president agreed, and the circuit was built less than a year later. But the Rodríguez brothers' lives were marred by tragedy. F1 arrived in 1962 with a non-championship grand prix, but Ricardo Rodríguez died during practice when his car overturned and caught fire. Then, in 1971, Pedro Rodríguez suffered fatal injuries in a sports car race. The track was then officially named Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the early 1970s. Advertisement F1 brought its first world championship event to the track in 1963, a race dominated by Jim Clark. The series stayed until the 1970s, but due to safety concerns, it was dropped until the mid-1980s. It underwent a renovation, and the sport returned from 1986 until 1992. But Mexico fell off the calendar until 2015. Other racing series filled the void in the meantime, including CART (1980-81 and 2002-07) and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Xfinity raced there four times in the mid-2000s (races were won by Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kyle Busch) before leaving following the 2008 season. But those NASCAR races were on a different layout; when F1 returned in 2015, it was reconfigured and now includes a famous cut-through of an old baseball stadium on the property. — Madeline Coleman With Mexico City at an altitude of 7,350 feet, this will be the highest elevation race in Cup Series history. That will require a significant challenge for engine builders, as the motors will generate significantly less horsepower in high altitude. It will also affect the cars' cooling because water boils at a lower temperature at elevation, and they have options to run different louvers (vents) in the hoods. It would also affect the drivers themselves, although drivers are split on how much preparation will be necessary. Chase Briscoe, for example, said he has been sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber (which simulates the conditions felt by the body at high elevations). Briscoe said he hopes it will be helpful, because otherwise he's been leaving his wife to take care of their young twins at night by herself for nothing. 'If we get to Mexico and all that was a waste of time, I'll just be in the dog house,' Briscoe said. 'You get good sleep because you're not getting woken up by the kids, but it's like 90 degrees in this tent. It smells like straight-up plastic.' Advertisement Briscoe has also been doing two-a-day workouts on Wednesdays and going to a heat room to try and build up his endurance. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell said he's also been doing some altitude training to prepare, just in case it's necessary. 'The last thing I would want to do is get down there and not feel well and not be able to perform in the car,' Bell said. Larson said he went for a run during his Mexico visit and didn't think the extra exertion required was anything particularly notable. Similarly, Ryan Blaney said there wouldn't be any acclimation process for him. When he visited Mexico City for his own media tour earlier this year, he was told it wouldn't even be very hot by the time NASCAR returned (temperatures are expected to be in the low 70s with rain). 'I don't think I'll do anything differently,' Blaney said. Bubba Wallace joked he would practice holding his breath and 'see if I can get longer and longer.' But Denny Hamlin scoffed at the notion altogether. 'I'm not soft like these guys,' Hamlin said. 'I don't get bothered by heat or get exhausted. I know the air is thinner and all that, and I know a lot of guys are preparing for it — as they should — but I will not be.' — Jeff Gluck Similarly to Circuit of the Americas in Austin — the only other current track shared by both NASCAR and F1 — the cars will race dramatically differently. In the esses, for example, F1 cars blow through there wide open. But Cup drivers believe they'll have to meander through that section in second gear. The famous stadium section (at left in the graphic above) has a turn which will require the Cup cars to slow down to a near stop ('like 30 mph,' Erik Jones estimated) and then make a large arc into the corner — somewhat like the new Charlotte Roval turn that caused some chaos last fall. Advertisement Chase Elliott said that could be a controversial turn because there's no real way to protect against a dive bomb move. 'It's kind of just, 'How much respect do you have for your competitors?' and, 'How silly do you want to be?'' Elliott said. 'Typically, if you're around guys you share a lot of mutual respect with, you don't see stupid stuff happen. And when stupid stuff does happen, it's just a sign of someone who doesn't respect somebody else. Typically, that is when that stuff gets out of hand.' But in general, Blaney said, the course will suit NASCAR very well with multiple passing zones. 'They did a really good job on it,' he said. 'It has all different aspects from high-speed straightaways, really heavy braking zones, flowy sections and then your really slow stadium section. It has all pieces of road courses we run mashed into one, so it looks like a great racetrack.' — Jeff Gluck
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Chris Hughes spotted waiting for JoJo Siwa at her gig after jetting 12 hours to Mexico to watch her tour
CHRIS Hughes has been spotted by eagle-eyed fans backstage at JoJo Siwa's concert in Mexico. Chris, 32, was captured waiting in the wings for his Celebrity Big Brother co-star after making the 12-hour journey to see her. 6 6 6 As JoJo, who turns 22 today, made her way off stage, the audience in Mexico City could be heard screaming and cheering. Chris was then captured in a backstage video as he waited at the bottom of the stage steps "for his girl". The footage, which was shared on social media, was captioned: "Sweet Christopher waiting for his girl." "It's giving Travis and Taylor!" said one fan, comparing JoJo and Chris to Taylor Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce. Another added: "Argh he was waiting for her. That's just the cutest." JoJo and Chris's highly-anticipated reunion in Mexico comes after they have spent three weeks apart from each other. The pair, who are at the centre of romance rumours following their CBB stint, have since been looking very cosy together. Posting on Snapchat about meeting his "soulmate" again, Chris said: "Finally reunited." Chris and JoJo were also photographed lying together on a sofa, as JoJo placed her hand on Chris's heart. JoJo Siwa tells story about time with Chris Hughes in CBB Chris flew 12 hours to meet JoJo in Mexico where she was booked for a performance at Mexico City's Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. It's the first time they've seen each other since JoJo travelled back to America following their stint together in the CBB house. JoJo called herself a "very happy girl" ahead of her gig in Mexico after a two-hour flight. After her concert on Sunday night, JoJo shared a selection of pictures with fans on Instagram. She said: "Mexico 😭🖤🇲🇽 what a beautiful 24 hours my oh my. Thank you @tecate_emblema for having me:) "The crowd was UNREAL, you all were so amazing. Thank you for the love and kindness and energy you gave to me on stage❤️. "Lil mini photo dump from the last 24 hours, I have so many more but these for now:)." JoJo Siwa and Kath Ebbs' relationship We look back at JoJo Siwa's romance with Kath Ebbs: JoJo Siwa went public with hers and Kath Ebbs' relationship in January 2025. The Dance Moms star had been introduced to 27-year-old Australian content creator Kath by a mutual friend called G-Flip six months earlier. JoJo had split with her girlfriend Dakayla Wilson in November 2024 and it is believed she hooked up romantically with Kath soon after. Speaking in March at the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, JoJo said of her relationship: 'I am so happy. I am in a very mature relationship, and it's beautiful. It's taught me so much about life. 'It's taught me so much about love and respect, and it's a beautiful thing. 'It's different in more ways than I can count. I wouldn't even know what to say the biggest is 'cause just everything is so different and special.' Kath even claimed they had talked about marriage together. However, JoJo's romance with Kath abruptly hit the skids on April 25, 2025, at the Celebrity Big Brother wrap party. JoJo dumped Kath at the bash after spending 19 days in the CBB house - where she had grown close to Love Island star Chris Hughes. JoJo posted lots of pictures of herself on stage but also a fun snap of herself and Chris once the gig was over. The blurry shot shows JoJo, still in her costume, grinning wildly while lifting Chris up into her arms. Chris, meanwhile, is also smiling and is wearing a pair of bright green sunglasses. Commenting, one follower gushed: "I adore you and Chris together!! "The fact he flew all the way to Mexico to see you for a couple of days, knowing you'll be coming to the UK soon anyway, says SO much!!" JoJo and Chris spent 19 days together in the Celebrity Big Brother house in April. Kath Ebbs, 27, revealed they had been ditched by the US TV star and said they were in "complete shock" and felt "numbed out and humiliated" by it. JoJo flew home to the US just days after the CBB final but has made no secret of how much she has missed Chris. 6 6 6
