Last year Kyle Larson was on the pole for the Chicago Street race and was seen as a favorite until weather foiled his plans. The rain delay forced him to stay out to maintain his track position and on lap 34 in stage 2, Larson found himself in the tire barriers. He was chasing down Ty Gibbs for the second position, but locked up his brakes on the #5 Chevy leading to a DNF finish.

Now on Sunday similar weather conditions could throw a wrench in NASCAR and Larson’s plans on Sunday for the Viva Mexico 250. And this time around, the HMS driver will be in more wary about how he deals with wet conditions on a track he is not familiar with.

Rain and road courses are already tricky in NASCAR, but to toss in an international venue like Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, and suddenly, Sunday’s race starts to look like a survival fest. The Mexico City forecast has been flirting with trouble all weekend, and with rain expected either in the morning or during the race, things could get tricky for the driver. But at the same time, it provides an opportunity for those who are willing to take the risks.

When asked about the track and weather challenges in a media conference, Larson, half laughing, replied, “Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, me being not that experienced on wet I would like for it to not rain or be wet but I think at the same point, you know, that that opens up an opportunity if you do hit on it or get comfortable, you know, you can make a big difference behind the wheel.” 

But the Hendrick Motorsports driver didn’t shy away from the upside either. Kyle Larson sees an opportunity, and he is willing to take his chances and make the most of them. The driver of the #5 Chevy hasn’t forgotten his wet weather disaster at Chicago last year. “You know I don’t know but I’m a pretty risky driver and and you know you’d see that at Chicago I crashed last year so uh I don’t know if I could take it or leave it. I would rather leave it but yeah, we’ll see we’ll just be ready for, you know whatever conditions come.” 

However, the rain is just one layer of the madness. The Mexico City track itself brings another beast: altitude. At 7,350 feet above sea level, the thin air can mess with everything from brake cooling to how a car hugs the corners and it’s not just the engines gasping.

Joey Logano, never one to sugarcoat, talked about how real the challenge is during his SiriusXM Radio interview. “‘What lessons are we going to learn the hard way?’ I guess it’s like a question you have to ask yourself and try to be prepared for it the best you can. I think something is probably going to catch us off guard. You try to cover all your bases to where that doesn’t happen. But when something’s this new, you got to assume something is going to just sneak up.

Drivers are trained to expect the unexpected, but this venue demands even more. The reduced grip, slower response times, and physical toll on the body make this more than a race. It’s a test of who can adapt quickest under pressure. With Shane van Gisbergen already bagging the pole position for the mega event, both Larson and Logano will have to bring their A-game to be in contention.

Larson wants more than just the winner at the spotlight

With NASCAR breaking new ground in Mexico City this week, Kyle Larson is all for change, sort of. For the first time in modern cup series history, Sunday’s race will include a podium ceremony for the top three finishers, much like what you see in Formula One or other global motorsport series. And why Larson is not against the idea, he thinks NASCAR should pick its moments.

Drawing from his dirt racing routes, when nightly podium interviews are standard, he explained it’s not all that different from NASCAR’s current pit road chats, but he sees value in putting a spotlight on more than just the winner. He says, “Maybe just your crown jewel events would be a good start. But I’m not sure. I come from dirt racing, where the top three have to stop on the frontstretch every night and do your interview, which we do interviews on pit road (in NASCAR) and stuff, so that’s not way different.”

He pointed to international racing traditions like national anthems on the podium as ways to elevate the post-race atmosphere. Still, Larson is clear that NASCAR doesn’t need to mimic other series entirely. Ross Chastain echoes Larson’s thoughts, saying post-race recognition shouldn’t be exclusive to just the winner. The No. 5 driver goes on to say, “Second and third should be celebrated a little bit more than it is. Not only for yourself and your team, but your partners and whatnot. I think there’s ways that NASCAR can look at making it have their own kind of touch and feel,” he said.

The podium celebration is surely a different feel in Mexico, but the victory lane celebration are most probably going to remain unchanged when NASCAR returns home.