Kyle Larson Enjoying a Change of Pace in Mexico Hanging Out With Fellow NASCAR Drivers: “It’s a Different Feeling”

Jerry Bonkowski | 15/06/2025
Kyle Larson (5) walks out onto the stage for driver introductions before the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.

In a way, NASCAR’s foray into Mexico City this weekend has been like a school field trip, according to Hendrick Motorsports’ Cup Series driver Kyle Larson.

The drivers are without the creature comforts of their motorhomes, forced to stay together in the same hotel and travel to the racetrack in shuttles or be escorted to off-track events like wrestling matches or go-kart racing.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a school field trip, but it does feel like that,” Larson said with a laugh during a media session Saturday.

He especially liked one of the “field trips” away from the racetrack and hotel, attending a unique event on Friday: “The wrestling (Lucha Libre) thing yesterday was pretty cool,” Larson said with another laugh.

Larson is definitely enjoying the unique culture south of the border. However, he is still unsure what to expect in Sunday’s race around the 2.42-mile, twisting Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez road course. But like everything else he has gone through since arriving, the 32-year-old is excited.

“Mexico’s been fun,” Larson said. “It’s a different-feeling weekend for us here. We don’t have our motorcoaches and all that. We’re all put up in the same place and we have to ride together and ride in shuttles together.”

“It’s honestly really fun and enjoyable to be around your competitors and get to know each other a bit better. Because on a typical weekend, we just kind of lock ourselves in wherever we’re at, we don’t talk to anybody or anything. So it’s nice that you’re almost forced to hang out with each other and to get to know them,” he added.

The No. 5 driver will roll off from sixth on the grid as the lead HMS Chevy for Sunday’s Viva México 250. He would surely love to cap off his “field trip” by becoming the first-ever Cup Series winner in Mexico City.

Post Edited By: Abhishek Ramesh
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Hendrick Motorsports Kyle Larson Viva Mexico 250

About the author

Jerry Bonkowski

Jerry Bonkowski

Jerry Bonkowski is a veteran sportswriter who has worked full-time for many of the top media outlets in the world, including USA Today (15 years), ESPN.com (4+ years), Yahoo Sports (4 1/2 years), NBCSports.com (8 years) and others. He has covered virtually every major professional and collegiate sport there is, including the Chicago Bulls' six NBA championships (including heavy focus on Michael Jordan), the Chicago Bears Super Bowl XX-winning season, the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs World Series championships, two of the Chicago Blackhawks' NHL titles, Tiger Woods' PGA Tour debut, as well as many years of beat coverage of the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA for USA Today. But Jerry's most notable achievement has been covering motorsports, most notably NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA drag racing and Formula One. He has had a passion for racing since he started going to watch drag races at the old U.S. 30 Dragstrip (otherwise known as "Where the Great Ones Run!") in Hobart, Indiana. Jerry has covered countless NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA races and championship battles over the years. He's also the author of a book, "Trading Paint: 101 Great NASCAR Debates", published in 2010 (and he's hoping to soon get started on another book). Away from sports, Jerry was a fully sworn part-time police officer for 20 years, enjoys reading and music (especially "hair bands" from the 1980s and 1990s), as well as playing music on his electric keyboard, driving (fast, of course!), spending time with Cyndee his wife of nearly 40 years, the couple's three adult children and three grandchildren (with more to come!), and his three dogs -- including two German Shepherds and an Olde English Bulldog who thinks he's a German Shepherd.. Jerry still gets the same excitement of seeing his byline today as he did when he started in journalism as a 15-year-old high school student. He is looking forward to writing hundreds, if not thousands, of stories in the future for TheSportsRush.com, as well as interacting with readers.

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