NASCAR's Historic Race in Mexico City: Viewing Details, Start Time, and Insights for the Viva Mexico 250
The NASCAR Cup Series makes its debut outside the U.S. at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the Viva Mexico 250, a significant event for the sport.
For the first time in NASCAR’s modern history, the Cup Series ventures outside the United States to compete in the inaugural Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City. This 2.42-mile track, named after legendary Mexican racers Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez, features a challenging 15-turn layout that will test every driver’s mettle as they aim to win a points-paying international race.
When and Where to Watch
When: Sunday, June 15, 3 p.m. ET
Where: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico
Stream: Amazon Prime
Starting Lineup
Shane van Gisbergen clinched the pole position with a top qualifying time of 92.776 seconds (93.904 mph), marking his first pole of the season and second in his Cup career. Here’s how the starting grid looks:
- #88 - Shane van Gisbergen (R)
- #60 - Ryan Preece
- #1 - Ross Chastain
- #54 - Ty Gibbs
- #71 - Michael McDowell
- #5 - Kyle Larson
- #34 - Todd Gilliland
- #16 - A.J. Allmendinger
- #22 - Joey Logano
- #99 - Daniel Suarez
- #8 - Kyle Busch
- #9 - Chase Elliott
- #21 - Josh Berry
- #43 - Erik Jones
- #35 - Riley Herbst (R)
- #17 - Chris Buescher
- #51 - Justin Haley
- #12 - Ryan Blaney
- #19 - Chase Briscoe
- #2 - Austin Cindric
- #3 - Austin Dillon
- #45 - Tyler Reddick
- #77 - Carson Hocevar
- #38 - Zane Smith
- #23 - Bubba Wallace
- #41 - Cole Custer
- #24 - William Byron
- #10 - Ty Dillon
- #48 - Alex Bowman
- #6 - Brad Keselowski
- #20 - Christopher Bell
- #42 - John Hunter Nemechek
- #47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- #51 - Cody Ware
- #4 - Noah Gragson
- #11 - Ryan Truex
- #78 - Katherine Legge
Key Considerations
Racing in Mexico City presents unique challenges including altitude, where the Autódromo sits nearly 7,500 feet above sea level, complicating vehicle performance due to reduced oxygen levels. This can dampen engine horsepower significantly. Additionally, with Denny Hamlin absent due to family commitments, Ryan Truex will take over driving his vehicle.
In local racing news, the recent death of Travis Carter has saddened the NASCAR community as a notable figure in the sport.
