The Cup Series race in Mexico City is all set to be a challenge for drivers since multiple unknown factors will be at play. A handful of drivers will, however, carry a slight advantage over the others, for they have already raced at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
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Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has experience on the track, having been part of the Xfinity Series race staged there in 2008 and ended up winning it. The Xfinity Series held races at the Autódromo from 2005 to 2008.
Even though it has been a long time, some part of his subconscious will carry faint bits of familiarity. That should help him navigate Sunday’s fixture. Regardless, Busch certainly takes a lot of confidence from it.
He posted pictures of his victory celebration from back in 2008 on his Instagram handle and captioned them, “I know y’all remember the last time we raced in Mexico.”
The shout-out to the past stirred up the excitement of the fans. They stood behind their beloved ‘Rowdy’ and egged him to secure his first victory of the 2025 season.
“You were just a baby lol! Go do it again… Easy peasy,” wrote a fan. Another comment said, “You got this ROWDY !!!” One more added, “With the way COTA went, there is a chance.”
The No. 8 Richard Childress Racing driver had a positive showing in the Cup Series race at the Circuit of the Americas. He finished fifth, and that remains his best result of the year so far.
Of course, Busch is not the only driver familiar with the Mexico track.
Which other drivers have experience racing in Mexico?
During the Xfinity Series stint, Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski were part of the grid alongside Busch. Hamlin won at the track in 2006, but might miss the upcoming race on account of the birth of his third child with Jordan Fish. So, among the veterans at least, Busch has the best chances of success based on prior experience.
Daniel Suarez has won three races at the track, but they were all at the one-mile oval configuration used in the NASCAR Mexico Series. Michael McDowell won a sports-car race in 2005 on the track as well.
It remains to be seen how much the past will come to be of use in the present this Sunday.
“I recognize a few of the corners as I’m running it [in the simulator]. I’m like, ‘Yeah, I remember this, remember that’. Certainly, there are some different parts of the track that we didn’t get to run,” Hamlin told Fox Sports.
“But overall, it feels pretty straightforward to me. Not much to it. I think there’s a bunch of passing zones. I’m actually looking forward to this one,” he added.
That said, pretty much every other driver who has driven on the track before will have a similar mindset.
