NASCAR is set to return to Mexico City for the first time since 2008 this weekend, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series set for its first race at Autodromos Hermanos Rodriguez in 17 years and the NASCAR Cup Series making its first visit to the famed venue.
Ahead of the historic weekend, here’s the 101 — the uno oh uno, if you will — on NASCAR’s return to Mexico.
As you can imagine, this trip is far from a simple drive to Wilkes County, N.C., or a flight to Pocono, Pa. The logistics of the weekend include getting team and sanctioning body personnel to Mexico City — which, as proven by the travel delays several teams and individuals faced June 12, is no easy task.
One hundred thirty-two haulers will also make the trip, which includes those for teams, NASCAR itself, Goodyear, Sunoco and merchandise haulers. Tim Bryant, NASCAR’s VP of racing operations, told Jordan Bianchi that every hauler must keep a manifest of every item it carries across the border.
Haulers arrived in Mexico City on June 10 and 11, but several teams and drivers are still yet to arrive ahead of June 13’s practice sessions.
The configuration of Autodromos Hermanos Rodriguez that NASCAR will race on this weekend is indeed different than the course Formula 1 has raced on 16 times. Rather than the 2.67-mile, 17-corner layout used by F1, NASCAR will employ the track’s 2.42-mile, 14-turn course for the weekend’s events. That’s also a different layout from the 2.518-mile, eight-turn configuration the Xfinity Series used from 2005 to 2008.
A long frontstretch akin to Watkins Glen International and Circuit of the Americas leads into a heavy braking zone, which could be a center of chaos throughout the weekend, especially if late-race restarts should arise. There’s not one other road course in particular that serves as a direct comparison for Mexico City. It’s a beast all its own, which only adds to the mystique and drama heading into the race weekend and should give the best stock car drivers in the world quite the challenge.
A track situated 7,500 ft. above sea level is also another wrinkle being thrown at drivers and teams this weekend, but drivers seem to have differing opinions on how it will affect them. Tyler Reddick slept in a hypoxic tent in an effort to prepare himself for the lack of oxygen, while Zane Smith said on a media call June 11 that he hadn’t done anything to prepare for the altitude change.
“My honest answer is I haven’t done anything to prepare for that,” Smith said. “I’ve spent some time down in Mexico, and I don’t think it’s going to be a huge deal. I could be completely proven wrong, but (I) just prepared as normal as I would for the other 37 weekends.”
While Smith doesn’t believe the altitude difference will be a big deal for drivers, he did make a note of how it could impact the cars themselves.
“Obviously, the altitude is going to be a bit different from an engine feel,” he said. “I can definitely see that being the case. What brake package you have is going to be very interesting.”
Doug Yates told Autoweek that he expects the track to be lower on grip than most, a product of less downforce due to the elevation. The physical and mechanical impacts of the elevation will be a major factor as teams navigate the weekend.
The Xfinity Series raced at Autodromos Hermanos Rodriguez four times from 2005 to 2008. Only one of the drivers — Kyle Busch — who won one of those races will compete in the Cup race; Denny Hamlin triumphed in 2008 but will miss the race following the birth of his son.
There’s not many notes for teams in either series to go off of this weekend, but there is, at least, some film to be watched. Unlike other race weekends at new Cup venues such as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum or the Chicago street course, drivers and crew chiefs do have some material available to them to study, however limited it may be.
This weekend is a new chapter — and hopefully not the final one — in NASCAR’s history with Mexico City. With most of the logistical nightmare over, there’s nothing left to do except kick back and watch NASCAR’s return to Mexico, which could lay the groundwork for a long-term future of international NASCAR racing.
A member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Samuel also covers NASCAR for Yardbarker, Field Level Media, and Heavy Sports. He will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2025.