Cup Series set to dish out points in Mexico for first time

MEXICO CITY – Amid much anticipation from fans and teams alike, 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 this inaugural visit to the renowned 2.42-mile, 15-turn road course in the middle of bustling Mexico City. And perhaps no one is more eager for NASCAR’s Mexican arrival than Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, who has made multiple 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 be competing 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 really trying to be as present as possible; enjoy the moment and try to execute the best possible weekend that we can. We know that 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, Calif., in 2022, has been a vital supporter of this initiative. For months, the popular driver has starred in the NASCAR commercials promoting the Mexico race — the script depicting him trying to teach fellow racers how to speak in Spanish.

“At first, I thought man, I don’t know if this is going to work out, like, I don’t think this is going to be funny,” Suarez said smiling. “And 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. And, 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 certainly 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 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 A.J. Allmendinger, Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell and Suarez’ Trackhouse teammate Shane Van Gisbergen are all some of the most talented road racers in the sport and all are still 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 last couple of months. It will be nice for sure 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. And 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 both are considered favorites 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.

RFK’s Chris Buescher, who finished runner-up to Hamlin last week at Michigan, boasts the best road course average finish (8.7) in the Next Gen cars.

–NASCAR Xfinity Series set for Mexico return

The NASCAR Xfinity Series marks its return to Mexico with Saturday afternoon’s The Chilango 150.

The series has held four previous races at the famed Autodrome Hermanos Rodriquez – that Busch won.

This is the second of seven road course races on the schedule. Series rookie, JR Motorsports’ Connor Zilisch won at Circuit of The Americas from pole position.

JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier earned his third win of the season in the series’ most recent race, two weeks ago at Nashville. Allgaier is the reigning series champion.

It marks the fifth time in the last eight years the veteran has scored at least three victories in a season. He holds a 92-point advantage in the championship standings over fellow three-race winner, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill.

The Illinois native has answered his first career title run with another top-shelf season in the No. 7 JRM Chevrolet. He leads all drivers in laps led (638) and top-10 finishes (10). He’s only eight top-10 finishes from 300 in his career — a feat never before accomplished in the series.

With 12 regular-season races remaining and six playoff spots still to be claimed, Mexico City certainly presents all the makings of an ultra-competitive weekend.

Sam Mayer and Ty Gibbs have the most road course wins (four) in this weekend’s field. Interestingly, nine of the series’ last 11 road course races have been won by just three drivers (Mayer, Van Gisbergen and Zilisch). And Mayer, who is ranked third in the standings, is still looking for his first win of the year.

Gibbs (No. 19 Toyota) is among three NASCAR Cup Series regulars — also Suarez (No. 9 Chevy) and Christopher Bell (No. 24 Toyota) — racing Saturday. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie, Andres Perez De Lara will be making his Xfinity Series debut.

Qualifying is slated for Saturday morning and historically has proven very significant on road courses with the polesitter winning 10 of the last 18 road course races.

–By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service