NASCAR made history this weekend. The Cup Series raced in international waters for the first time since 1958 and made a grand show of it. While Daniel Suarez dazzled fans with a comeback victory in Xfinity, Shane Van Gisbergen raced from the pole to the victory in Cup. However, a number of safety concerns overshadowed these spectacular races, although they were not enough to rattle a top executive.
The sport’s international ventures are nothing new. From the snowy climes of Canada to the rich culture of Japan, NASCAR has experienced many foreign racetracks in the past. However, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez track has set off a more active international plan despite the numerous hurdles.
The path looks solid despite NASCAR’s troubles
First of all, racing in a different country spells logistical problems. Two NASCAR-chartered planes carrying team members to Mexico were grounded Thursday. One of them carried Trackhouse Racing, which had to drive to Atlanta and catch commercial flights or wait till the next day. Then a picture of NASCAR haulers approaching the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez track raised eyebrows among fans. Jeeps carrying armed personnel trialed the haulers, and a fan’s picture on X with the caption, “NASCAR teams ain’t f—–n around,” went viral. Many people in the sport raised concerns about security in light of these issues. However, NASCAR’s top seed is not too bothered with regard to the series’ return to Mexico City next year.
Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president and chief venue & racing innovation officer, threw his weight behind repeating the Mexican spectacle. He said, “Just walking through the garage area this weekend, a lot of people that I spoke to, a majority of the people I spoke to, were incredibly happy. They’re happy to be down here. They consider it a massive success and a lot of people enjoyed their time. They love the city. They love walking around the different neighborhoods. They love the food. I love the food every time I come down here. So, I heard a lot of positive remarks.”
Kennedy on the criticism or claims from some of it being unsafe in Mexico City, “Just walking through the garage area this weekend, a lot of people that I spoke to, a majority of the people I spoke to, were incredibly happy. They’re happy to be down here. They consider it a…
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Consequently, Ben Kennedy added that ‘we’re very hopeful we’ll be back’ according to an X post by Matt Weaver. He was pleased with the weekend’s events which attracted 44% of the crowd from Mexico City and 90% from Mexico. Kennedy stressed the large fanbase: “I would say for us, this is more of a strategic move as a sport to expand our footprint globally and internationally and to a new mass fan base.” NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps also had no dearth of optimism: “We’ve had several game-changing firsts in recent years, but this one is different. Racing here in Mexico City, amongst these passionate fans in such an impressive venue for the first time in NASCAR Cup Series history, is in a word, spectacular.”
What is more, a NASCAR driver seconded these soaring words. The sport’s poster boy for the NASCAR event chipped in his own enthusiasm.
Seeing a long road ahead
As a Mexican driver in NASCAR, the perspective is different. Daniel Suarez emerged from humble beginnings in Monterrey, Mexico as his family did not boast racing or big money. With the help of sponsors, English cartoons, and a relentless passion for racing, Suarez established himself as a NASCAR driver. Now, the Trackhouse Racing driver leads the sport’s efforts to go international. NASCAR already has branch series in Mexico, Brazil, Canada, and Europe. However, in holding a points-paying Cup race internationally, NASCAR is finally doing what the NFL and MLB have been doing for years – serving an offshore audience.
According to Daniel Suarez, these efforts will lead to tremendous success. He said a few days before the Viva Mexico 250: “The reason I have zero doubt is because maybe I have a different perspective than most people and maybe most drivers here in the United States. Obviously, I’m Mexican. I have a wife who is Brazilian. We have a lot of relationships in Brazil and South America, Mexico, and I know some people in Argentina and Colombia. I know for a fact how popular this sport is, and I know that people will get crazy in Mexico. And I know if one day we race in Brazil and Argentina, it would be a huge success.”
Clearly, NASCAR’s international efforts may have a bright future ahead. We can only wait and see if another Mexico City showdown happens in 2026.
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