“We’re very hopeful to be back here in the future.” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovation officer, was cautious when he said these words. After all, mechanical snags delaying flights, adjustments in schedule, and immense exhaustion were big problems in the sport’s Mexico City venture. Despite these glaring problems, Dale Earnhardt Jr elevated the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to a high level.
After all, it was a historic event last weekend, as the NASCAR Cup Series raced internationally for the first time since 1958. What is more, the crowd’s response to the thrilling races made for a very successful endeavor. That was enough for Dale Jr to knock out a few rivals in favor of Mexico City.
Dale Earnhardt Jr drops a jaw-dropping possibility
Well, the enthusiasm was at its peak for NASCAR’s Mexico City events. Fans cheered loudly for their homeboy Daniel Suarez, even when he briefly appeared on TV. When the Trackhouse Racing driver won the Xfinity Series race, the loud roars drowned out any other noise. For the Cup Series race, 90% of attendees hailed from broader Mexico while 44% of them were from Mexico City. Other drivers were also mobbed for autographs ahead of the stock car races. Due to the overwhelming positivity that came out of NASCAR’s foray south of the border, the sport may exercise the option it holds with Mexican promoter OCESA to return to race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez next year. Now, Dale Earnhardt Jr also added to this rumor.
The Chicago Street Race, held since 2023, has been a notable road course on the schedule. But with Shane Van Gisbergen winning in Mexico City, a formidable rival has emerged for Chicago, as Dale Earnhardt Jr dropped track rumors recently: “I know everybody’s experience may vary, but mine was a good one. Would I go back? Absolutely. I’m hearing some rumors, there’s a chance that it stays on the schedule, but it might not be in the same part of the season. I guess we might not go back to Chicago Street Course, there’s a chance that Chicagoland could come back, I’m hearing, but I’m not 100% sure about that. There’s a chance to race in the streets, I guess, of San Diego, or create some sort of course there. That’s pretty realistic.”
Shaking up the existing schedule makes more sense due to the logistical problems. Almost immediately after the June 8th Michigan race, team haulers had to start their journey to reach the United States-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, 24 hours later. This coming weekend, NASCAR races 2,500 miles in the opposite direction from Mexico City – at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. So Dale Earnhardt Jr shed light on what needed to be done: “They learned a ton about the way they should have done this in the first place…Everybody got home safe…Ben Kennedy was honest and transparent about that.” But he was clear about his verdict: “The idea of just going back is a good one. Mexico City was great, Mexico the track was great.”
While Dale Earnhardt Jr harped on the good side, the challenging side did not miss the drivers’ gaze. Although Shane Van Gisbergen had back-up to tackle that.
Adapting to a new environment
NASCAR reached new heights last weekend, literally. Previously, the highest race track on the sport’s schedule was Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located 1,980 feet above sea level. Now, the ultimate boss is here to replace it. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez track is located a whopping 7,349 feet above sea level. The high altitude conditions created problems for drivers. It could cause dehydration, and affect some inner ear and central nervous system functions. Racers had to train and sleep in hypoxic environments to better adapt to the Mexico City track. What is more, the high altitude also affected the car engines and the downforce they created. That is what Kyle Larson emphasized in his assessment of the race.
However, race winner Shane Van Gisbergen took advice from the best. Formula One races on the Mexico City circuit every year, so who else would be better to consult than 4-time F1 champion Max Verstappen himself? After winning the pole, SVG texted his friend to elicit some tips. He said, “Normally on a wet circuit the tarmac has grip and the white lines are slipperier. It was the opposite. It was like ice, how slippery it was out there. I just reached out to him, was the grip on line, off line, what kind of techniques did he use, and, yeah, he didn’t say too much, but it’s always good to get a little leg up, you know.”
Accordingly, SVG stayed ahead of the game as compared to his Cup Series rivals. With Dale Earnhardt Jr rooting for Mexico City, we may see more of SVG’s magic on the same track.
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