The news that NASCAR would return to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City for the first time since 2008 wasn’t without its critics.
Some bemoaned the fact that Mexico City’s NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series race dates would be pulled out of the heart of NASCAR country in Richmond Raceway, leaving the Virginia short track with zero Xfinity races and just one annual Cup race for the first time since 1958.
Others were concerned about the cost and logistics of traveling south of the border as well as the exhausting trek from Michigan International Speedway to Mexico to Pocono Raceway without an off week to spare.
Crime was another argument used by detractors of the race, parroted in a similar vein in the lead up to NASCAR’s first Chicago Street Race in 2023, which went off without a hitch.
There was a great fear of the unknown from a subset of the NASCAR world — a fear that was only exacerbated by people who hadn’t travelled to Mexico, people who didn’t know the ins and outs of Mexico and people who were ignorant about Mexico City and the country as a whole.
But for all the negativity spewed before and during the event, NASCAR’s return to Mexico marked a historic milestone and was an overall success.
Sunday’s (June 15) Viva Mexico 250 marked the first Cup points race outside the United States since 1958. The ability for NASCAR to organize a race outside of the U.S. is a testament to the notoriety and marketability that NASCAR continues to have in North America and beyond.
There is an international crave for NASCAR, and last weekend’s race marked the first time thousands of fans in Mexico saw their favorite drivers in person and experienced the sound, speed and power of the racecars up close.
That enthusiasm was present throughout the entire weekend. Every driver was a celebrity in their own right, and they were greeted with a level of excitement from fans that were eager to experience NASCAR for the first time in 17 years, if not the first time ever.
There was a great sense of appreciation and gratitude from the local fans to every member of the NASCAR industry, no matter how big or small.
And when Monterrey’s Daniel Suarez took the checkered flag in Saturday’s (June 14) Xfinity race in front of a home crowd, the atmosphere was simply electric.
And in an era of turmoil and tension between the United States and Mexico regarding immigration, NASCAR’s trip was uniting. The people of Mexico welcomed NASCAR with open arms, and last weekend’s festivities bridged a gap, bridged a growing divide.
And no one put it better than Carl Edwards did on Amazon Prime Video’s post-race show when discussing the pre-race U.S. and Mexican anthem performances.
“When we sit in the United States, and we think about Mexico, we think about all sorts of things,” Edwards said. “We’ve got (the) border, and we’ve got all sorts of issues and concerns. But to know that those children are here, practicing our national anthem, and to deliver it in such a beautiful way and to welcome us, I think it’s just bigger… It’s the biggest thing.”
After the Cup race, Suarez had nothing but praise for NASCAR’s weekend in Mexico City; the homecoming was better than he ever dreamed of.
“Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations,” Suarez said. “The people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy … Very, very happy for that. Very blessed. And I hope that we can do it many more times.”
The trip to Mexico didn’t come without years of planning. NASCAR has been eyeing an international expansion for quite some time, and last weekend was a dream, a vision that turned into reality. And whether it’s a race in Mexico City or a different locale, NASCAR will look to continue its global expansion for 2026 and beyond.
As always, there will be logistical, financial and political hoops to jump through in the quest to host NASCAR around the world. But last weekend’s races were the first stepping stones in a vision of bringing it all around the world.
And NASCAR’s desire to go global doesn’t mean it’s abandoning its base. The Southeast has been and always will be the heart and soul of NASCAR, but there’s always room to grow. There’s a place at the table for every NASCAR fan from far and wide.
NASCAR has the ability to unite. Any person from any background can turn on a TV or buy tickets to a race and enjoy the sport that millions of us already enjoy each weekend.
Because NASCAR is for everyone, and Mexico City proved it.
Stephen Stumpf is the NASCAR Content Director for Frontstretch and is a three-year veteran of the site. His weekly column is “Stat Sheet,” and he formerly wrote "4 Burning Questions" for three years. He also writes commentaries, contributes to podcasts, edits articles and is frequently at the track for on-site coverage.
Find Stephen on Twitter @stephen_stumpf
I applaud Mr. Stumpf for writing this. A rather brave take in today’s American society, and particularly when writing for a site where I’d guess the majority of readers will disagree, possibly vehemently, with the sentiments. I hope I’m wrong on the latter, but I know I’m right on the former.
People malign the loss of an event on American soil, which as Mr. Stumpf noted, was one of Richmond’s events. I have lived my whole life within a couple of hours of Richmond, and used to regularly attend races there. But, I tired of Richmond being a mind numbingly boring race the vast majority of the time, so I stopped going. And of note, Richmond’s problems far predate the current generation of car.
Sunday, I was treated to a weekend of exciting, close quarters racing, though obviously SVG removed doubt as to the winner of the cup race, during the final stage. Still, both NASCAR races in Mexico were much more enjoyable than the vast majority of Richmond races the past 20 years.
I agree completely with Mr. Stumpf’s observations, though I worry NASCAR happened to make this leap at nearly the exact wrong moment. Many of those in power within our country retain their sway via jingoistic rhetoric, and actively seek to tear down international relations. I can absolutely see pressure on NASCAR to step away from their expansion plans, which NASCAR would be fools to fight against.
If NASCAR is forced to shelve their plans, it will be a matter of time before FIA fills the international opportunity for “stock car” racing which clearly exists, as evidenced by this past week’s success. Were the FIA not being run by incompetent leadership at this time, I’d bet they’d already be having discussions of starting a competing series.