NASCAR insider addresses rumors of Mexico race cancelation

Nerves can now be calmed. NASCAR confirmed to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports that the first ever Cup Series race in Mexico City will go on as planned Sunday, June 15 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

There had been rumors of NASCAR canceling the event and racing on the Daytona Road Course that weekend instead. One rumor went as far to say that teams were looking at hotels in Daytona Beach for that weekend. NASCAR shut down the speculation on Friday.

“There have been rumors for several weeks that the Mexico race won’t happen, even though NASCAR brought drivers to Mexico last week and had Mexican media at COTA this past weekend. I talked to NASCAR this morning. They are adamant that the Mexico race is good to go,” Pockrass wrote on X.

Pockrass added the rumors likely stem from the ongoing political strife between the United States and Mexico. NASCAR promoted the race last week, with Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Daniel Suárez and Bubba Wallace participating in a track walk.

“Rumors of Mexico race not happening likely stem from the current state of relations between the two countries,” Pockrass tweeted. “And there are some in the garage who have anxiety about going (just like there was some, maybe not to same extent, about racing in Chicago). I fully expect it to happen.”

NASCAR last held a points race outside the United States in 1958 at the Canadian Exposition Stadium in Toronto, Ontario. That will change this summer, as the sport begins expansion into other countries.

NASCAR headed to Mexico, eying further international expansion

Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal reported last month that there is momentum towards taking The Clash international. And that would be a spot “possibly” in Brazil. NASCAR has a sprint series in Brazil focused on road course racing. Suárez competed in the series last year during the Olympic break.

Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina hosted this year’s Clash. Chase Elliott, who won the race, was in agreement with Ryan Blaney on The Clash. He believes The Clash can go somewhere outside the U.S. Where exactly? Well, he’ll leave that up to NASCAR.

“I kind of like Ryan’s thought of potentially getting outside of the United States,” Elliott said. “I know we’re kind of testing the waters a little bit with the Mexico City thing this year, but I think the real test would be going overseas. And this race would be a good opportunity to do something like that that wouldn’t be, you know, committing to a points race somewhere like, a long ways away.

“So, I like the idea of using it as a potential steppingstone to help grow the sport. And I almost feel like if we’re not going to do that, I’m not even sure that it’s totally necessary, either. I think it’s a good opportunity to shake things down and kind of get in the groove, but we just ran a month and a half ago, it wasn’t that long ago, either. So, I think for me, I’m not saying one way or the other I think everything’s on the table, and I’d be good either way. Whether it’s here, Daytona, if they want to do it in Europe, if they want to not do it at all, I’d be fine with any of the above.”