NASCAR’s first international points race in Mexico was a resounding success. Daniel Suárez delivered a stirring Xfinity win for his home crowd while fans showered Cup drivers with unrelenting support. However, the event had its share of detractors back home.
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Some fans in the U.S. took issue with the Mexico City venture, citing political tensions, safety concerns, and a preference for reviving dormant American tracks. But Kyle Petty has given a sharp rebuttal to the naysayers.
Speaking to Motorsports Reports, Petty acknowledged the criticism, understanding why some fans were frustrated the sport didn’t revisit shuttered venues stateside. However, he called the weekend a watershed moment for NASCAR.
“You have to look at the demographics of the United States, and you have to look at the Hispanic population and the Latino population,” said Petty.
“Daniel Suarez has brought more eyes to our form of racing, to Cup racing than anybody before. As we look at the demographics in this country and you look at society, it is they are the largest, the fastest growing group of immigrants to the United States,” he explained.
“I’m just talking [about] able-bodied people who pull for racing and love NASCAR racing, and there [are] a lot of fans right now that come out of Mexico, and a lot of fans that are watching in Mexico. So, that is a huge moment for our sport,” added Petty.
While viewership data for the Mexico race hasn’t yet been released, last weekend’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan drew 1.77 million viewers. NASCAR has confirmed strong ticket sales for the Mexico City event, driven by collaboration with OCESA. There is also the larger promise of entering a rich, untapped market.
Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovations Officer, remarked that the fan mix included both American travelers and longtime Mexican followers. “The beauty of this is we’re going to have a lot of fans who have never been to a NASCAR race before,” he added.
So the viewership numbers are naturally expected to be higher. As a sign of the event’s national pull, 90% of the ticket buyers were from Mexico, with only 44% residing in Mexico City, according to data shared by Jeff Gluck.
Also, for many Mexican NASCAR fans, it was an emotional moment to watch Cup cars thundering through their home soil for the first time. They are all hoping NASCAR will commit to a return in 2026.
While Kennedy stopped short of a formal announcement, he appeared genuinely impressed by the fan appreciation NASCAR received in Mexico. “We’re very hopeful to be back here in the future,” he said.
