This season is exciting for a lot of reasons. Ranging from fattened race purses to Shane van Gisbergen’s first full-time Cup season, there’s a lot to look forward to. But overarching all others must be NASCAR’s fresh international debut in Mexico. During the June 13-15th weekend, our favorite Cup Series drivers are heading to Mexico City to race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track – and Christopher Bell cannot wait.

In the first delegation to the land of tacos, a Cup Series quartet undertook a tour of Mexico City. Daniel Suarez, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, and Ryan Blaney ticked off several fun activities on their itinerary. The most appealing activity among them must have been visiting the racetrack, as Bell agreed.

Christopher Bell shares his verdict on the new venue

Built in 1959, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack has a rich history. The 17-turn, 2.674-mile road course was named after racing brothers Ricardo Rodriguez and Pedro Rodriguez. It sits at an elevation of 7,342 feet above sea level and was remodeled in 2015. Formula One races at the track annually – but now, NASCAR is set to dominate it. Upon visiting the new Cup Series venue earlier this week, Christopher Bell was left starry-eyed. Fresh off winning his first superspeedway race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is excited about the Mexican drafting track.

NASCAR made slight variations to the racetrack, like removing a series of turns that Formula One uses. The track layout has a stadium section for hosting concerts, and that enthralled Christopher Bell as he spoke in a recent interview: “I’m super excited about the stadium section. Whenever you get down to the race, it has a great opportunity to try and outbreak someone, make a last-corner move if it comes down to that.” 

But what captivated Christopher Bell‘s attention was probably the track type. After enduring a Daytona wreck, Bell won the Ambetter’s Health 400 race – so he cannot get enough of drafting tracks. “It’s going to be interesting to see how the draft affects us. I don’t know that we’ve been to a circuit where that we have a straightaway that might be capable of getting a tow and getting a draft run and help a pass getting into turn 1 there.”

Yet the JGR driver also pointed out that the Mexican racetrack is versatile. So drivers and teams need to put up their best performance. “So it’s going to be a little bit of everything. The esses are going to be super fast so you have to have your car versatile. And be able to handle the fast parts of the racetrack, the massive zones getting into Turn 1 and into Turn 4…and into the stadium section as well. It’s a mix of everything, and it’s going to provide an amazing show.” 

Among the driver delegates to Mexico, Christopher Bell enjoyed his novel experience. But it was a homecoming for one of his rivals.

No place better than home

Daniel Suarez overcame huge obstacles in his racing journey. Being the first Mexican-born driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, the Monterrey native did not hail from a wealthy family. So he had to rely on talent and perseverance to reach the highest levels of the sport. In a recent clip for NASCAR: Full Speed, Suarez shared how most of his close confidants advised against moving to the US. But he listened to two people and did move to North Carolina, learning English and surviving on very little money. He came a long way from there – and after achieving the 2016 Xfinity Series championship, he launched into a star-studded Cup Series career.

Now Daniel Suarez holds two Cup Series race wins and two playoff appearances, with more trophies incoming. But although he found a home in the US, the Mexican speedster can never forget his roots. He said so on his recent visit to Mexico City: “I love racing in the United States and it feels like home to me now, but there is no one race track I can call home — Texas, Miami, Phoenix, California are all like home because there are a lot of my fans – but it is not home. I grew up racing here. I have won races here. For me, this is a very special place. My very first win in the NASCAR Mexico [Series] came here at this track on the oval [configuration].”

For Daniel Suarez, it will be a heart-warming experience to race at his home track. For his rivals, the bubbling excitement to go beyond borders and showcase their prowess would be a dream come true!