Hendrick Motorsports Pulls Late Tactical Switch for NASCAR’s Unique Mexico City Challenge

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Mexico City, and while the track brings its own excitement, the pit road is causing the teams to face a tricky challenge.

There’s a thing called ‘reverse pit stop’ in NASCAR. It’s not something fans get to see often in the Cup Series. In fact, the only other place on the schedule where it happens is at Watkins Glen. And now, Mexico City joins the club.

Hendrick Motorsports Changing the Game on Pit Road at Mexico City

Most NASCAR tracks/ovals have pit roads on the left side. Drivers enter with their left side against the wall, and pit crews are trained to jump off and perform their tasks in a very specific flow. But at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, things change a little.

In Mexico City, the pit road entry will be on the right, meaning the right side of the car hugs the pit wall. That means, crews have to do everything they usually do, but in reverse order.

It might not sound like a big deal initially, but pit stops are all about timing and rhythm. Team crews spend hours practicing every movement to save fractions of a second. But suddenly everything’s reversed when the cars come in from the right. That’s where the challenge comes in.

Hendrick Motorsports (HMS), one of the top teams in the sport, is changing something in its roster before the weekend. NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass informed fans on X that HMS had swapped the positions of its front and rear tire changers for the Mexico race. That way, even with the reversed pit stop, the changes could stick to its usual tires, just from the opposite direction.

Fuelers also face a challenging task. Their approach angle changes when the car’s right side is near the wall. Properly lining up the fuel can on the opposite side without spilling or losing time gets trickier.

Jumping off the wall to get to the car will be another task for which the crew will need ample practice. A sudden change in positioning could lead to early jumps and penalties.

History in the Making for NASCAR at Mexico City

There’s always pressure during a big race weekend, especially when NASCAR travels internationally. With this being the first points-paying Cup Series race outside the U.S. in decades, every team is looking for ways to stay sharp.

HMS’s roster tweak is a smart adjustment. Some teams prefer to keep changers in their regular spots and have them switch their usual positions on the car, which often leads to confusion. By swapping their positions entirely, HMS hopes to avoid that awkward transition.

Their small decision to flip their crew setup could make a big difference on Sunday.