What’s Happening?

Kerry Earnhardt is set to return to the racetrack this weekend, stepping in as a substitute driver for the Grand National Super Series, the series announced Wednesday on Facebook.

• The 55-year-old Earnhardt will fill in for AJ Henriksen in ECC Motorsports No. 56 this weekend at Tri-County Speedway in Granite Falls, North Carolina. This is a shocking announcement as, according to stat books, Earnhardt, the eldest son of Dale Earnhardt Sr, has not raced competitively since 2009.
• Earnhardt will be competing in the Grand National Super Series, a southeastern-based amateur full-body stock car racing series. This series, which features former NASCAR National Series cars racing against other stock cars, has recently attracted notable names like Jeremy Mayfield and YouTuber Mitchell Stapleton, also known as Stapleton42, to their ranks in recent years.
• Though not as well known as his brother or father, Kerry had almost a decade of experience racing in ARCA and NASCAR from 1998 to 2009. By far, the most successful season Earnhardt had behind the wheel was his 2001 ARCA Menards Series campaign, which saw him win in three of five starts.
• Kerry is the half-brother of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelly Earnhardt Miller. His sons Bobby Earnhardt and Jeffery Earnhardt also have a similar scattered racing history, with starts across several touring series.

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The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour heads to one of its oldest race tracks this Saturday night for a bullring showdown under the lights. 200 laps at the unfriendly confines of Riverhead Raceway, and a healthy crop of local drivers ready to defend their home turf awaits the regulars of the Tour.

Local drivers Chris Young and Mark Stewart have already visited Riverhead’s victory lane this season in weekly competition. They’re joined by Dylan Slepian, who has finished in the top five at Riverhead in NWMT competition twice in his career, Roger Turbush, who finished third back in 2021, and Matthew Brode as drivers who are looking to pull off what Kyle Soper most recently accomplished back in 2022, and that’s beat the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at their home race track.

But to do so, they’ll have to beat the likes of Justin Bonsignore, Ron Silk, Matt Hirschman, Craig Lutz, Eric Goodale, Austin Beers, Patrick Emerling, and Luke Baldwin.

We’ll start off by shining our spotlight on the four-time and defending NWMT champion, Justin Bonsignore. The veteran driver has 45 career victories, and 11 of those have come at his home track of Riverhead Raceway. Should Bonsignore add another one on Saturday night, he’d break a tie with Mike Ewanitsko for the most NWMT wins at Riverhead Raceway. However, Bonsignore has not visited Riverhead’s victory lane since September of 2023, as he went winless last season. He’s also been struggling a bit (for Bonsignore’s standards) to get good finishes so far this season. Bonsignore has been caught up in incidents in all four races so far this season, which is why he finds himself third in points so far.

Meanwhile Silk, who has missed the last two races as part of their partial schedule this season, heads to a Long Island track that gave him fits for many years of his career, but is now one of his best race tracks. Silk has three victories at Riverhead and all three have come in the last seasons. In fact, Silk swept 2024 at Riverhead and has won three of the last four races there. His non-wins at Riverhead? Dating back to 2022 he has finishes of third (four times), and a runner-up finish in 2023. Normally the win at Riverhead goes through the No. 51, but right now it’s fair to say that the win goes through Ron Silk, Phil Moran, and the No. 16.

We have to go all the way back to 2022 to find a race that was won by someone not named Ron Silk or Justin Bonsignore. In 2022 the two Riverhead races were won by six-time NWMT champion Doug Coby, and local hero Kyle Soper. But we have to go back to 2021 to find a race that was won by someone who is entered in this Saturday’s race.

On September 18, 2021, Orchard Park, New York’s Patrick Emerling took the checkered flag over Bonsignore and local drivers Roger Turbush and Soper. Eric Goodale finished fifth. Since that win, Emerling has been strong at Riverhead. He’s posted finishes of second (twice), seventh, ninth, and fourth. Emerling started this season off strong with an impressive win at New Smyrna Speedway and a rally to finish second at Thompson Speedway. Things haven’t been as good since. He crashed at North Wilkesboro and finished 28th, and crashed at Seekonk and finished 14th. He’s fallen the points lead to seventh in points, 26 points back of Austin Beers entering Saturday’s race.

And that leads us to Austin Beers, the current points leader, who is seeking his first victory at the Riverhead quarter-mile bullring. In nine starts at Riverhead, he’s finished in the top five in three of them, and in the top 10 in six of them. He won the pole and led 63 laps in the summer race of 2023 before fading to finish tenth that night. But he’s finished no worse than fifth in his last three trips, including a second-place finish in the spring race last season. 

There’s one remaining driver on the entry list that has been to NWMT victory lane at Riverhead Raceway that we haven’t mentioned until now, and that is Riverhead’s own Eric Goodale. Goodale scored his first NWMT victory in front of a packed house at his home race track now 11 years ago in June of 2014. But his NWMT results have been a mixed bag ever since. In the last four years, Goodale has been pretty strong, posting finishes of fifth (three times), and ninth (twice). But he’s also had finishes of 11th (twice), and he finished 16th in the fall 2023 race after getting caught up in a crash.

Saturday’s 200-lap race is expected to see the green flag fly at 8 p.m. ET live on FloRacing. Fans can watch with a FloRacing subscription, and those that are not currently subscribers can join the platform by clicking here.

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Riverhead Raceway Entry List

NASCAR returns to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this weekend for the first Cup Series points race outside the United States in nearly 67 years.

The Mexico City road course played host to the Xfinity Series from 2005-08, but its layout has changed significantly since then.

The track virtually was rebuilt before the return of Formula One in 2015, adding a new race control, VIP section, hospital and grandstands. The circuit, which features various configurations, also was repaved.

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.

Aside from F1 (which is in its third stint at the track after racing there from 1962-70 and 1986-92), Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez also has played host to the World Endurance Championship, Formula E and various motorcycle and sports cars series.

Its multiple layouts include an oval just under a mile that the NASCAR Mexico Series has used. The National Circuit, a 15-turn, 2.429-mile layout, will be used by NASCAR this weekend.

William Byron ranks first for the season in speed and restart rankings, according to Racing Insights.

The track was renamed in 1973 in honor of Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez, a Mexican pair of siblings who drove in F1 during the 1960s.

This will mark the third international points race in the Cup Series, which raced twice in Canada. The most recent event outside the United States was held July 1958 in Toronto and won by Lee Petty with Richard Petty making his Cup debut.

Mexico City weekend schedule

(All Times Eastern)

Friday, June 13

Garage open

• 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. — Cup Series
• 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. — Xfinity Series

Track activity

• 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — NASCAR Mexico practice and qualifying
• 1:05 – 1:55 p.m. — Cup practice (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
• 2:05 – 2:55 p.m. — Xfinity practice (CW App)
• 3 – 3:25 p.m. — Cup practice (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
• 3:30 – 3:55 p.m. — Xfinity practice (CW App)
• 4:30 p.m. — NASCAR Mexico race (50 laps, 121 miles, 90-minute time limit; NASCAR Mexico YouTube channel, MRN)

Saturday, June 14

Garage open

• 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. — Cup Series
• 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 a.m. — Xfinity Series

Track activity

• 10:35 – 11:30 a.m. — Xfinity qualifying (CW App)
• 12:05 – 1 p.m. — Cup qualifying (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
• 1:45 p.m. — NASCAR Mexico race (40 laps, 70-minute time limit, NASCAR Mexico YouTube channel, MRN)
• 4:30 p.m. — Xfinity race (65 laps, 157.3 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 20, Stage 2 at Lap 40; CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Sunday, June 15

Garage open

• 11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. — Cup

Track activity

• 3 p.m. — Cup race (100 laps, 242 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 20, Stage 2 at Lap 45; Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR)

Weekend weather

Friday: Cloudy with a high of 75 degrees, winds from the east at 10 to 15 mph and a 24% chance of rain.

Saturday: Partly cloudy and a high of 75 degrees with winds from the east at 10 to 15 mph and scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. It’s expected to be 74 degrees with a 21% chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity race.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy with a high of 73 degrees and winds from the east at 10 to 15 mph. It’s expected to be 71 degrees with a 16% chance of rain at the start of the Cup race.

NASCAR is set to race in Mexico City for the first time, marking a significant step in the sport’s global expansion. Despite logistical challenges, including border transport and safety concerns, NASCAR executives view this race as essential for growth. The event aims to engage a new fan base in a city with over 20 million people and showcase the sport to a demographic that has been largely untapped. Racing in Mexico not only provides exposure for teams but also enhances potential sponsorship opportunities, positioning NASCAR as a sport ready for international markets.

By the Numbers

• Mexico City has a population of over 20 million, presenting a vast potential audience.
• NASCAR is chartering planes to ensure the safe transport of teams and equipment across the border.

State of Play

• NASCAR faces logistical hurdles, including complex hauler manifests and security concerns.
• Tracks in the U.S. are vying for races, but Mexico City offers a unique opportunity to grow the sport’s audience.

What’s Next

The success of the Mexico City race may pave the way for future international events within NASCAR, encouraging a broader global presence. Observations from this race could influence other racing series, like INDYCAR, to consider racing outside the U.S.

Bottom Line

NASCAR’s venture into Mexico City is a bold move aimed at expanding its reach and attracting new fans. Embracing discomfort and logistical challenges can ultimately lead to growth and increased interest in the sport.

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The NASCAR Cup Series is heading to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. The Viva México 250 will take center stage, and ahead of all the action, Kevin Harvick and the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour crew are locking in their predictions.

First, Kaitlyn Vincie got the fun started. She’s riding with a veteran road course savant to get his first win of 2025: “This is going to be interesting, because we don’t really know who could win this weekend,” Vincie prefaced. “I’m going to go with AJ Allmendinger.”

Allmendinger is certainly a contender. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, he’s +1500 to get the dub. If he does, he’ll lock himself into the playoffs, which would be huge for Kaulig Racing.

In response, Harvick was slightly surprised with Vincie’s pick. It opened up the door for him to go with the favorite in Shane van Gisbergen: “That’s a big surprise,” Harvick responded. “I thought you’d take the favorite. SVG.”

While van Gisbergen is thought of as a threat on road courses, his performance at intermediate tracks has left a bit to be desired. However, he turned in a solid showing in Michigan this past weekend, finishing P18 when the checkered flag waved. 

With Mexico City on the docket, van Gisbergen is currently P33 in the overall point standings. He only has one top ten on the season, so a win is more important to him at one of these road courses than anything. He’ll be going for broke at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, and Harvick thinks he’ll get it done.

Meanwhile, Mamba Smith is thinking of a different Trackhouse Racing wheelman when it comes to this weekend’s race. He thinks Mexico native Daniel Suarez can rise above and win in heroic fashion.

“I was going to take AJ. You know what? Because I just feel like there’s some magic in the air, and he needs it anyway. I’m going with the hometown boy. Just give me Daniel Suarez,” Smith predicted. “Why not? Home cooking.”

Like his teammate SVG, a win would mean the world to Suarez. He’s back in P28 in the overall point standings, only nothing one top five in 2025. He needs it if he’s going to make the playoffs, and Smith is hoping it comes to fruition.

All told, it’s anyone’s guess who gets to Victory Lane during the NASCAR Cup Series’ trip to Mexico. It should be a fascinating event at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. We’ll see who makes history and takes the checkered flag.