This isn’t just another road course on the calendar; it’s a symbol of NASCAR‘s intent to expand its international footprint. As the sun sets on Michigan, with Denny Hamlin claiming his third win this season, the NASCAR circus is ready to move on to the next big thing. The buzz around NASCAR’s run in Mexico City is undeniable. As a race weekend draws closer, the excitement from fans and teams alike continues to swell.

But beyond the press conferences and teaser trailers, a deeper infrastructure is quietly working behind the scenes. And in a recent podcast appearance, an insider lifted the curtain, revealing just how seriously NASCAR is taking the effort and the All-Star team assembled to ensure it goes off without a hitch.

Tom Bryant’s right-hand team

Speaking in an interview on interview on Hauler Talks, Tom Bryant(NASCAR vice president, Racing Operations), walked listeners through the behind-the-scenes preparations for the Mexico race. Amanda, one of the hosts of the podcast, was curious to know about the team that is working behind the scenes. She mentioned that there was some chatter on social media that NASCAR might not have the personnel or the expertise to move the entire Cup garage from Michigan to Mexico in a cross-border travel.

But Bryant listed out some important people who have been a vital part in planning and executing this mega operation. These are people with serious credentials, each bringing decades of expertise in fields like security, transportation, medicine, and international logistics. He goes on to mention Alan Taylor, who has NASCAR’s security element. “Taylor, a guy with all the experience in the world, dealing with a lot of different ambassadors and international governments and crossing lots of borders as he’s traveling, protecting the president. So traveling internationally is nothing new for him”. 

Steve Barris, a former deputy police chief in Daytona Beach, will lead logistics. “Steve Barris, leading our logistics and transportation group, was a deputy police chief for Daytona Beach for years. A wealth of experience leading a large organization, training, equipping and resourcing a large organization, which is what we’re doing.” His ability to manage, quip, and resource large operations translates perfectly to NASCAR’s need for efficiency and security during international events.

Medical needs are covered by Pam Talbert, a veteran trauma nurse with over 10 years of NASCAR experience. Bryant praises her highly, backing it up with her years of experience and expertise, ” So just wealth of experience both medically and in managing medical events and large events.” She handled multiple emergencies at the high-speed oval and now prepares for an entirely different set of challenges in Mexico.

Credentialing is another crucial piece of this puzzle, especially when entering a country where language and systems are different. Haley Bertelsen is leading this department. From vetting temporary workers to issuing passes for VIP guests and teams, her job has become more complex with the added international layer. Tom doesn’t let that slide and understands the importance of her job: “When you add in a second language, when you add in a whole lot of people who aren’t familiar with any of our processes anyway, it’s been a pretty big lift for Haley as well.”

And keeping everything stitched together is Meg Miley, NASCAR’s administrative lead for international operations. With over 20 years in the sport, she handles everything from entry blanks to roster management—tasks most fans never see but are essential to the sport’s execution. Braynt cannot hold back his praise for the entire team, especially Meg, saying, ” Meg Miley’s got two decades of experience with NASCAR. She’s just an absolute rock star.” 

Together, this group forms NASCAR’s International vanguard. As Brian summed it up, “So yeah, I’ve got a remarkable team of people with a ton of experience who make me look really good. They’re the ones who do all the work.” With a very tight team intact, it is safe to assume that the Mexico City race will go over as smoothly as possible.

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A trip back to Mexico City

Before the 2025 big Cup Series gig in Mexico City, NASCAR fans have already seen the magic happen in the City of Palaces. From 2005 to 2008, the Xfinity Series races at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, and even though it wasn’t the top-tier Cup Series, the names on those winner boards? Pure star power. Martin Truex Jr. kicked things off with a win in 2005, and a young Denny Hamlin followed with his first-ever NASCAR national series victory there in 2006—long before he became the face of Joe Gibbs Racing and a 57-time Cup winner.

2007 saw Little International flair as a former F1 driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, snatched the win, putting Latin American racing pride on full display. Then Kyle Busch, never one to be left out, stormed to win the final Mexico City Xfinity race in 2008. It was classic Rowdy—fast, bold, and unforgettable. Looking back, it’s wild how many legends cut their teeth or made a statement south of the border.

Fast forward to today, and those very names – Busch and Hamlin are still running strong in the Cup series, still collecting trophies, and still at the heart of every big race conversation. It would look like a small international experiment back then, but it turned out to be a sneak peek into NASCAR’s ambitious plans.

So as the cup series rolled into Mexico City for the first time, it’s not unfamiliar ground—it’s a return to a track that helped shape the field. The backdrop may be international, but the story? It’s all American grit, growth, and the kind of racing that turns prospects into powerhouses.