NASCAR Cup Series set to dish out points in Mexico for first time
Amid much anticipation from fans and teams, the NASCAR Cup Series has arrived in Mexico City for the series' first points-paying international race in seven decades.
Sunday's race is aptly named Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The industry has long been preparing for the inaugural visit to the renowned 3.894km, 15-turn road course in the middle of bustling Mexico City. Perhaps no one is more eager for NASCAR's Mexican arrival than Trackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez, who has made many visits to his home country in support of the event.
"I'm super excited, regardless of what happens on Sunday," said the Monterrey, Mexico-native, who has competed, and won, three times on the track's oval-configuration while racing in the NASCAR Mexico Series, which will also compete this weekend.
"I'm super excited for the event. I'm super excited to live in the moment because the first time is going to only happen once. I'm trying to be as present as possible, enjoy the moment and try to execute the best possible weekend we can. We know we are capable of winning the race, but that's not the goal. The goal is the execution of the entire weekend, and hopefully the win is the result of the execution part."
Suarez, who scored his first NASCAR Cup Series win on a road course at Sonoma, California, in 2022, has been a vital supporter of the initiative. For months, the popular driver has starred in NASCAR commercials promoting the Mexico race, the script depicting him trying to teach fellow racers how to speak in Spanish.
"At first, I thought I don't know if this is going to work out, like, I don't think this is going to be funny," Suarez said.
"Honestly, it turned out amazing. I give a lot of credit to NASCAR for trying all these different things.
"I think people are liking it. Drivers are embracing it. Obviously I'm having fun with it. I'm the one teaching the language, so for the first time I feel like I'm in my zone, so that's good."
Suarez is among the group of drivers hoping a new venue may produce different results. The driver of the No 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet is ranked 28th in the championship with 11 regular season races remaining to set the 16-driver playoff field.
Others who traditionally considered road course aces similarly see this as a big opportunity to punch a playoff ticket.
Hendrick Motorsports drivers Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman, Kaulig Racing's AJ Allmendinger, Spire Motorsports' Michael McDowell and Suarez' Trackhouse teammate Shane Van Gisbergen are some of the most talented road racers in the sport and all are looking to earn a victory this season. Many sit well below the 16th-place playoff cut line.
Six of the 14 regular-season races in the Next Gen Era have been won by drivers ranked 16th or worse in the standings at the time of their victory.
"Everyone expects us to perform on road courses," said New Zealand's Van Gisbergen, who made the ultimate NASCAR debut winning at the Chicago street race two years ago in his very first start.
"Not that we have been hanging out for (road courses), but the ovals have been a big learning process the past few months. It will be nice to have a bit of a break and races on the types of courses I'm used to, which means turning right."
Hendrick Motorsports has won at eight different road courses, the most in NASCAR history. Four of the remaining 11 races will be on road courses.
Hendrick's William Byron continues to lead the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings - up by 41 points on teammate Kyle Larson - and they are considered favourites this weekend. Hendrick drivers - Byron (two), Larson (two) and Bowman (one) - have won five of the last eight road course races.
If Elliott wins this weekend, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart for second most road course wins all-time (eight).
Last week's race winner Denny Hamlin claimed his first career Xfinity Series win at the Mexico road course in 2006. Hamlin, Richard Childress Racing's Kyle Busch and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing's Brad Keselowski are the only drivers to have raced at the circuit, competing in the Xfinity Series there. Busch won the 2008 Xfinity Series race there.
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