Drivers and teams will have more than each other to contend with when the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series race this weekend at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.

They’ll also have to contend with the elevation. The road course is about 7,500 feet above sea level — the next highest track in NASCAR is Las Vegas at about 2,000 feet elevation.

The higher elevation means thinner air. Air plays a key role in horsepower and cooling and those will be significant issues for teams.

Doug Yates, president and CEO of Roush Yates Engines, estimates that the thinner air could reduce horsepower as much as 20% for the 670-horsepower Cup engines.

Danny Lawrence, long time engine builder for Richard Childress Racing and its director of the Xfinity Series and vice president of alliance operations, said maximizing horsepower is challenging at such a high altitude.

“You’ve got to fool the engine to make it think that the conditions are better,” he told NBC Sports.

Daniel Suarez said the horsepower reduction will be minimal for drivers.

“I don’t think you have to drive different, but the cars are going to have more mechanical grip especially on the exit of the corners because you have less power,” he said. “We’re going to lose like 80 to 100 horsepower. That’s a lot. … But at the same time, in the high-speed corners, we’re going to lose a lot of downforce. We’re going to lose a little bit of everything.”

Racing at such elevation is new for the Cup Series. The Xfinity Series raced in Mexico City from 2005-08. The series averaged nearly seven engine failures per weekend (practice and the race) the first three years. The final year racing at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez saw no engine failures during the weekend.

“I would say we’re more concerned about the cooling and the components and the other things we have to ensure are properly set up,” Yates told NBC Sports.

NASCAR will allow each manufacturer to have two sets of hood louvers to run during practice Saturday to see which best cools the engine. Each manufacturer will select which hood louver it will use and all of its teams must use the one selected on its cars.

The only time the NASCAR Cup Series has had a podium celebration was for the Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum exhibition races from 2022-24.

“The problem we have with the engine is the caution laps,” Trent Owens, crew chief for AJ Allmendinger, told NBC Sports. “It gets so hot under the caution laps, more so than the green laps.”

Under green flag conditions, the cars are at higher speeds and can get more air to cool. The slower speeds under caution means less air gets to the engine to cool it. As engines start to overheat, several problems can ensue.

“What happens with the engine management software is it goes into protection (mode) if you don’t get it cool enough before the restart,” Owens said. “So you’re trying to prevent that. It doesn’t shut the engine off, but it starts feeding it fuel and changing the timing and stuff like that where you lose horsepower.

“So, just having that stuff right is probably our concern that we normally don’t have to worry about at any (other) event.”

With NASCAR’s rule that engines must run two races, most of the engines that will run in Sunday’s Cup race will be that engine’s second race.

Yates said a lot of the Ford engines for the 2.42-mile road course in Mexico were run earlier this year at Martinsville, a half-mile short track.

Yates says the two courses share some similarities so that running one engine at both tracks makes sense.

“We shift at Martinsville every straightaway, every lap,” Yates said. “So the power curve actually shifted up quite a bit from years ago. As the engine group, we have the opportunity to change the intake manifold and the exhaust system today, so we can tune around the base engine and have power lower RPM range or higher RPM range with those two tuning tools.”

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NASCAR heads to Mexico City this weekend for the first points race outside of the United States in the modern era, but while Daniel Suarez has benefited from a special sponsorship agreement due to his Mexican ties, Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing have been forced to make changes.

While NASCAR has traveled to Mexico for exhibition races, there has never been a competitive Cup Series race south of the U.S. border. NASCAR is looking to expand by adding more international drivers to the stock car series and has taken inspiration from Formula One.

In addition to racing in Mexico, NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps has entertained taking the Cup Series to Brazil. However, as Busch and RCR have discovered, switching locations can lead to sponsorship issues.

RCR has been forced to cover several active sponsors ahead of Sunday’s race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Due to advertising laws in Mexico, alcohol sponsors have been covered up.

Some products containing less than six percent alcohol must undergo a permitting process to be authorized. Due to strict regulations, all nicotine, tobacco, and CBD logos have also been covered.

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Casinos and gambling sponsors are permitted if they are licensed in Mexico, but others will be banned. Several NASCAR teams, including RCR, have been covering their haulers ahead of the race, and some cars also need a makeover.

BetMGM and 3Chi have previously sponsored Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet, but both sponsors are banned from advertising in Mexico. Despite the operational changes impacting teams, Phelps is still excited to make history.

“I’m excited. It’s the first time we’ve taken the Cup Series in the modern era outside our own borders,” Phelps told Motorsport.com. “It’s a big stage for us, and we need to make sure we make it.

“I think the Mexican fans are going to come, they’re going to support us, and I think it’s going to be a great show. Our drivers will love the circuit, and maybe, who knows, we can have our drivers, at some point, come to Brazil and have a race in Sao Paulo.”

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Phelps has made it clear that Brazil could be a future destination, as he added: “I’d like to see it happen. Obviously, we need all parties to come together and understand how important that would be for NASCAR in general and for the category.

“But I personally would be very excited about it. We’d like to have a Brazilian (driver) come out of NASCAR Brazil, come and race with us full-time, and, you know, compete for wins and championships.

“So we’re excited about this prospect, I was very impressed with the number of drivers I saw and how fast they were and their abilities, and we’re excited about this happening in the future.”

INDYCAR

Public sales for all 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto multiday tickets are underway at hondaindy.com. The 37th edition of the motorsports festival headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns July 18-20 to Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto.

The longstanding summer event again will bring high-speed racing action to Toronto’s downtown streets alongside a festival atmosphere full of family fun with interactive displays and diverse food and beverage options. The weekend offers great value for families, as children 12 and under receive free general admission every day when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

On track, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will take on the 1.786-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit built on Exhibition Place near the Lake Ontario shoreline.

On Friday, July 18, Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday, which offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada. Since 2010, Toronto Indy fundraising has raised over $1 million for the charity.

Fans can further enhance their Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto experience by purchasing a Paddock Pass, which grants access to the “locker room of motorsports.” Spectators looking to get even closer to the action can add a Pit Pass. For children ages 5-12, the Rookie Racers program offers behind-the-scenes experiences including access to the drivers and race cars.

Pricing starts at $85 for 2-Day General Admission for Saturday and Sunday. Fans planning on using public transportation can purchase a GO Combo ticket that includes a 2-Day General Admission ticket and two round-trip GO Transit fares to and from the event for $90 at hondaindy.com/promotions.

Bronze-level 2-Day Grandstand seating is available for $110. Silver and Gold levels are priced at $170 and $235, respectively. The Gold 2-Day Grandstand seat also includes a Paddock Pass ($80 value).

For full ticket pricing and 2025 event information and news, visit hondaindy.com or follow Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on social media using #indyTO.

Photo credit: Porsche

Porsche Penske Motorsport used Sunday’s test day at the Circuit des 24 Heures to fine-tune its three factory 963 hybrid prototypes ahead of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans. With temperatures just above 20 °C and light clouds, the team completed 194 laps—covering 2,643 km—across two three-hour sessions. Drivers reported a consistently balanced car after evaluating multiple setup options and testing new components.

“It was a very productive test day, during which we ticked off a full to-do list with all three cars,” said Urs Kuratle, director of factory racing LMDh. The team ran Michelin medium tyres throughout, anticipating warmer race-week conditions. “We wrapped up the day incident-free, and the drivers provided positive feedback,” added Jonathan Diuguid, managing director at Porsche Penske Motorsport.

Photo credit: Porsche

Formula E world champion Pascal Wehrlein turned his first laps on the 13.626 km circuit in the No. 4 Porsche 963, while reserve driver Nico Müller prepared in the sister No. 5 car. Customer squad Proton Competition also logged 60 laps in its own Porsche 963. In the LMGT3 class, Manthey’s Iron Dames entry (#85) covered 872 km and the No. 90 and No. 92 911 GT3 R cars completed a combined 133 laps, using the unique mix of permanent track and public roads.

Driver feedback was uniformly positive. Felipe Nasr praised progress on brake and body-part testing, Mathieu Jaminet noted room for fine-tuning against a tight field, and Kévin Estre highlighted insights gained despite a late red-flag interruption. Manthey drivers Rahel Frey, Antares Au and Riccardo Pera all reported smooth, incident-free runs and a solid baseline for race preparations.

No on-track action is scheduled for Monday or Tuesday. Free practice and qualifying begin Wednesday, and the 24-hour race starts Saturday, 14 June at 4 pm CEST. Coverage in Germany will air on Nitro and Eurosport, with live streaming via the FIA WEC and ACO apps.