Round 16 of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season takes the top level of the sport to a place where they’ve never been before — Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. It will also be the first points-paying Cup race outside of the United States since 1958.

William Byron leads the regular season standings, 41 points clear of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson. Denny Hamlin is the most recent winner, claiming victory at Michigan. The Xfinity Series raced in Mexico City for a few yers between 2005 and 2008 and Hamlin is just one of three active Cup drivers who took part in at least one of those events.

News of the week

This week, Ram confirmed its highly anticipated return to the NASCAR Truck Series. NASCAR officials also indicated that they are “very close” to securing a fifth manufacturer, but discussions are ongoing.

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It was also revealed that the Xfinity race in Mexico City will feature three Mexican-born drivers. Along with Daniel Suarez, 2024 ARCA champion Andres Perez De Lara and 2020 NASCAR Mexico Series champion Ruben Rovelo will be making their debut.

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Full entry list for NASCAR’s Mexico City race weekend revealed

What is the NASCAR at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez her schedule?

(Schedule is tentative and subject to change)

Friday, June 13th

1:05pm EST — NASCAR Cup practice #1 — PRIME VIDEO

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2:05pm EST — NASCAR Xfinity practice #1 — THE CW APP

3:00pm EST — NASCAR Cup practice #2 — PRIME VIDEO

3:3Opm EST – NASCAR Xfinity practice #2 — THE CW APP

4:30pm EST – NASCAR Mexico Series race #1 (50 laps) — YOUTUBE

Saturday, June 14th

10:30am EST — NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying — THE CW APP

12pm EST — NASCAR Cup Serie qualifying — PRIME VIDEO

1:45pm EST – NASCAR Mexico Series race #2 (50 laps) — YOUTUBE

4:30pm EST – NASCAR Xfinity Series race (65 laps) — THE CW

Sunday, June 15th

3pm EST — NASCAR Cup Series race (100 laps) — PRIME VIDEO

Daniel Suarez fans with Mexican flag

How can I watch the NASCAR Cup Series in Mexico?

Date: Sunday, June 15th TV start time: 3:00 p.m. ET Stages/Laps: (80-85-102) – 267 laps Green flag: 3:23pm EST  TV channel: PRIME VIDEO | TSN (Canada) | Other international viewing options Live stream: In-car cameras on MAX Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Who is racing in Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez?

There are 37 entries for the Cup race with one open entry. That will be Katherine Legge, driving the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet. Legge will be making his second Cup start of the year, following her Cup Series debut at Phoenix. To learn more about the Cup field or see the 39 drivers competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, CLICK HERE.

NASCAR Cup Mexico City entry list

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

MEXICO CITY — Somewhere along pit road Sunday at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Jose Blasco-Figueroa will stand in line with his Trackhouse Racing teammates and hear something he’s never heard ahead of a NASCAR Cup race.

The Mexican national anthem.

Just the thought of that had the 52-year-old Mexico City native “getting emotional” when he talked with NBC Sports earlier this month.

But there’s something else that makes the senior performance engineer’s path to this weekend even more special.

He became an American citizen in April.

The first Cup race he heard the “The Star-Spangled Banner” after becoming a U.S. citizen was the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Set against the backdrop of Memorial Day weekend, the emotional pre-race ceremonies reached a crescendo with the anthem and flyover.

Blasco-Figueroa admits he “kind of felt different” hearing the anthem as a citizen compared to previous times. “It felt great.”

Just as he imagines what it will be like to hear the Mexican anthem ahead of the first NASCAR Cup points race outside the continental U.S. since 1958.

“Going back there and listening to it, that, to me, is going to be probably the best part of the race regardless of what happens,” he said. “Because … I haven’t heard it (at a Cup race before). I haven’t experienced that.”

Mexico’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is about 7,500 feet above sea level and the thinner air will impact engines.

He is here 25 kilometers from his mother’s home helping oversee engineering aspects for Trackhouse drivers Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez and Shane van Gisbergen. Each has won a road course race with the Next Gen car (since 2022).

Blasco-Figueroa never imagined his path leading to NASCAR. He didn’t come from a racing family but his interest in the sport was raised when he received a battery-powered toy Formula One car as a child.

Intrigued by how things worked, he became an engineer. He spent his first 23 years in Mexico City and joined General Motors. The company sent him to Michigan for about 18 months before he returned to Mexico. He left GM to earn his master’s degree in England. He hoped to get a job with a Formula One team but nothing materialized.

Blasco-Figueroa returned to work for GM in Mexico. At one point, he was working for GM, teaching automotive engineers and working with a NASCAR Mexico Series team. He eventually quit his GM job to focus on racing. In 2016, he went to Charlotte, North Carolina, dropping his resumes off at race shops. A few days later, he had three job offers.

Some exercised in an oxygen-deprived setting, as seen by Tyler Reddick on a bike at the Toyota Performance Center, and a few slept in hypoxic tents.

He’s worked at BK Racing, Richard Childress Racing and now Trackhouse Racing. He’s working on different projects for Trackhouse and teaching some of the younger engineers

Blasco-Figueroa recently completed the “Data Science and Machine Learning: Making Data-Driven Decisions” 12-week program by the MIT Institute for Data, Systems and Society. He spent eight to 12 hours a week on the course.

“You got to keep up with technology,” Blasco-Figueroa said. “Data science is taking over many things. … AI is just a small part of data science. For us, right here, racing, the amount of data we have is huge.”

“A lot of people just think about racing on the part of you’ve going to make fast cars. Yes, you’ve got to make fast cars, but you got to race, right? That’s why strategy also is a part of the game. How you manage your car, how you manage your tires. All of that is coming into place. We just saw it in the (Coca-Cola) 600. (William Byron) dominated the race. Did he win it? No. We won it (with Chastain). Why? Strategy.”

Should Trackhouse win Sunday in Mexico, it would complete a memorable day for Blasco-Figueroa that started with hearing the Mexican anthem for the first time before a Cup race.

Following his vicious wreck into the outside wall at Michigan, Alex Bowman is cleared to race this weekend in the NASCAR race at Mexico City. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is set to race, but Anthony Alfredo is on standby if needed as a backup driver for Bowman.

Alex Bowman has been through a couple of injuries since the 2022 season. He suffered concussion symptoms that kept him out of a handful of races in 2022. Then, in 2023, he suffered a compression fracture in his back after a sprint car wreck that sidelined him for several weeks.

During the Cup Series race at Michigan, Bowman had what he described as one of, if not the hardest, hits he has taken. Those hits, at times, come with injury. Hendrick Motorsports confirmed that Bowman is ready to go for Mexico City. However, a backup driver is on hand in case of emergency.

Anthony Alfredo is the current simulator driver for Hendrick and is slated as the backup driver for Bowman in case he needs one. If all goes according to plan, Alfredo’s presence on Sunday will be just as a precaution. Hendrick confirmed the news to reporters at the track in Mexico City.

After a strong start to the season in the points, Alex Bowman has struggled. Three DNFs have led him to fall down to 13th in points. This No. 48 team expects to win at least one race this season. However, as the weeks go by and they continue to have problems instead of success on track, that reality becomes more uncertain.

Alex Bowman has fallen off in points, performance

In the first six races of 2025, Bowman was great. He had five top-10 finishes. He started on the pole at Homestead and finished P2. Since then, things have fallen apart. Bowman has suffered all three DNFs in the last nine races. During that time, he has only two top-10 finishes.

His average finish in the first six races, 9.5. Since then, in the last nine races, his average finish has fallen to 27.44, a sharp decline. Alex Bowman is considered the “fourth driver” at Hendrick Motorsports, and performances like he has had lately don’t help that reputation.

This weekend at Mexico City could be a good change of pace for Bowman. He won the Chicago Street Course a year ago. He has great performances on road courses in the Next Gen era. But the team has to put together a complete weekend.

Good news, Alex Bowman is going racing. Bad news, his skid could continue and force him out of playoff contention if it keeps up. Can Bowman get the sails turned the right way before the ship capsizes?

Car Week Passport Access and Elite passes. Includes entry to 4 premier Monterey events.

Will Elkadi, “Mr. Car Week” and creator of the Car Week Passport

Participating events in the Car Week Passport program include Automobilia Collectors Expo, The Paddock, Concorso Italiano, and Monterey Motorsports Festival.

Monterey Car Week Passport offers seamless digital access to four premier events, with General Admission and VIP options available.

MONTEREY, CA, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — As Monterey Car Week continues to grow in global prestige, a new curated experience has officially launched for 2025: the Car Week Passport, a digital-first ticket bundle offering streamlined access to four of the week’s most celebrated automotive events.

Created by Will Elkadi — also known as Mr. Car Week and founder of WhatsUpMonterey and the Monterey Car Week Guide, the region’s top online resource since 2011 — the Passport simplifies the planning and purchasing process for attendees while unlocking unique perks at select events.

Participating events include:
• Automobilia Collectors Expo & Auction (August 11–13 at Embassy Suites Monterey Bay) — featuring three days of world-class vendors and a headlining auction on Tuesday night
• The Paddock (August 15 at Bayonet Black Horse)
• Concorso Italiano (August 16 at Bayonet Black Horse)
• Monterey Motorsports Festival (August 16 at Monterey County Fairgrounds)

Guests can choose from general access or VIP-level experiences that include premium lounge areas, collectible memorabilia, wine tastings, and enhanced hospitality. All tickets are fulfilled digitally. Each participating event will email your ticket directly closer to event week.

“Car Week is magical, but for many, it’s overwhelming,” said Will Elkadi, Founder of Car Week Passport and WhatsUpMonterey. “The Passport was designed to make it easier, more exciting, and more personal. It’s a new way to experience Monterey Car Week — curated and seamless.”

The program also represents a rare and collaborative effort across the Peninsula’s major event organizers.

“This kind of alignment is exactly what the Car Week community has needed,” said Tanya Kosta, Chairman of Concorso Italiano. “When we put the guest first, everyone benefits.”

“The Passport isn’t just a bundle — it’s a shared vision,” said Paolo Manca, Founder & CEO of Monterey Motorsports Festival. “MMF is proud to be part of this collaborative effort that celebrates community, inclusivity, and the passion that defines Monterey Car Week. Together, we’re raising the bar.”

Early access is now open with limited-time pricing before July 1. Both General Admission and VIP packages are available at CarWeekPassport.com.

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NASCAR is beefing up its sponsorship of next month’s Chicago Street Race with the addition of Arby’s.

The fast-food chain was announced as a “founding partner” Wednesday of the third annual race around the pop-up Grant Park course during the Fourth of July weekend. Arby’s joins Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and Xfinity as major sponsors of the event.

“This marks an exciting moment for our brand in the world of motorsports, with one of the most dynamic and groundbreaking events in racing,” Jeff Baker, chief marketing officer at Arby’s, said in a news release. “Nothing goes better with NASCAR than one of our delicious Arby’s sandwiches, and we can’t wait to bring the meats to the streets for race fans and Arby’s fans in Chicago and beyond.”

Arby’s, which is new to NASCAR, is replacing Chicago-based McDonald’s as a major sponsor of the street race.

In addition to race weekend visibility and promotions, Arby’s is offering chances through June 22 to win tickets to the Chicago Street Race at 47 restaurants in the city and suburbs. The unique event on the NASCAR calendar features an Xfinity Series race on July 5, and the nationally televised Grant Park 165 Cup Series race on July 6.

The announcement comes as NASCAR and the city are gearing up for a more streamlined race weekend event with a smaller concert lineup, downsized hospitality buildout, reduced ticket prices and an accelerated setup/breakdown schedule.

Southern rockers the Zac Brown Band, scheduled to perform after the Xfinity Series race, are the only musical headliners on the bill for year three. But NASCAR is planning to add a miniature golf course and other family-friendly activities to the festivities.

The Grant Park 165 on Sunday is scheduled to start at 1 p.m., 2½ hours earlier than last year, in the hopes of finally finishing the race, which was shortened by inclement weather the first two years. The Cup Series broadcast is also moving from NBC to cable channel TNT.

Tickets, which went on sale in January, are less expensive this year. Single-day general admission passes start at $99 — a third less than last year — while premium grandstand reserved seats are priced at a nearly 50% reduction. Children 12 and under are free both days, with an accompanying adult.

The Chicago Street Race will once again feature a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course through Grant Park, down DuSable Lake Shore Drive and up Michigan Avenue, which will be closed off and lined with fences, grandstands and hospitality suites. But a relocated concert stage will replace the Skyline, a mammoth temporary structure along Columbus Drive that last year housed the most expensive suites overlooking the start/finish line at Buckingham Fountain.

Street closings for the buildout have been reduced to 18 days. The first shutdown is set for June 19, with all streets to be reopened by July 14.

Chicago saw a boost in tourism last year. Will the pope be a blessing in 2025?

NASCAR is in the third and final year of an inaugural agreement with the city to host the Chicago Street Race, a deal struck during Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration.

Last year, the race generated $128 million in total economic impact and drew 53,036 unique visitors, according to a study commissioned by Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism arm.