Rumors have surfaced recently that NASCAR might forego the highly anticipated race in Mexico City. As per the speculations, the teams were preparing to converge at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course the weekend of June 15, instead of Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
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The Mexico race is NASCAR’s first international event in nearly three decades. The track, a 2.674-mile, 17-turn road course, has a challenging design featuring long straights, and sharp turns, all situated 2000 meters above sea level. It will ensure an engaging race for both the drivers and the fans. The rumors of its cancellation were deflating for all involved.
The speculations neither specified a solid reason nor provided a logic for the cancellation. At a media interaction during the Pennzoil 400 race weekend in Las Vegas, Ryan Blaney addressed the subject, wondering if it is a “political thing”.
He dismissed the uncertainties surrounding the Mexico City race. “Zero concerns in my opinion. I don’t know where that rumor started that we’re not going down there,” said Blaney.
“I don’t know if it’s a political thing or what. From my understanding, it’s happening 100%. The people down there were awesome. I really enjoyed it… Everybody down there is excited that we’re coming. The press conference was fantastic, they’re really pumped that NASCAR, especially a cup race is coming down to their country and their racetrack,” he added.
Since then, notable NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass also put the rumors to rest presenting an update from the governance confirming the race’s status. Pockrass mentioned that NASCAR is certain in its position that the Mexico race is proceeding as planned.
He also suggested that the rumors about the race’s cancellation might have originated from the ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two nations. He acknowledged the apprehension within the NASCAR community stemming from this.
Earlier this year, the Mexico race organizers, along with NASCAR executives and four drivers — Blaney, Daniel Suárez, Christopher Bell, and Chase Elliott — visited the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Bell and Elliott describe their first visit to Mexico
The four drivers expressed their collective excitement for the forthcoming race. During their visit, the group explored the race track and had an immersive experience of the local culture.
Bell was particularly impressed by the grandeur of the grandstands during his walk around the track, mesmerized by the scale of it all. He said the whole facility was larger than any they had seen at other circuits where they raced.
“I was just simply impressed by the facility, the amount of grandstands that the facility has is second to none — probably bigger than any other circuit we’ve competed in,” said Bell.
Elliott also shared his admiration for the venue, commenting that the entire property is impressively versatile and adept at hosting a variety of events seamlessly.
The Autódromo has a stadium section that can accommodate concerts. It also has a park area designed for cyclists. Elliott also praised the track layout, stating that it has a bit of everything that would make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience for a driver while racing.
