It’s one of the most hyped weekends of the 2025 season. NASCAR is making headlines with its long-awaited return to Mexico City, an international double feature that’s got fans buzzing and teams scrambling to bring their A-game. With the Cup Series making its first points-paying start outside the US in decades and Xfinity returning for the first time since 2008, expectations are sky-high. But not everything has gone smoothly south of the border.

As the Xfinity Series geared up for its crucial practice sessions on Friday, a shocking last-minute travel disruption threw the entire schedule into chaos. A terrifying charter flight scare involving an Xfinity team and driver has forced NASCAR to rewrite the Mexico City weekend schedule on the fly, delaying activities and shaking our preparations just days before the green flag drops.

NASCAR Mexico City timings shuffled

Travel issues from teams leaving the Charlotte area have forced NASCAR to change its plans for this weekend’s events at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. As the hype around the race reached full tilt, two charter flights were stopped before takeoff on Thursday, leading to the delayed arrival of several Xfinity Series teams. That meant practice, qualifying, and racing prep all had to be shuffled on the fly.

Bob Pockrass broke the news on X while sharing the updated schedule, writing, “Because of travel issues where some Xfinity teams haven’t gotten here, schedule changes for the Mexico weekend include later Cup practice Friday and now all Xfinity track activity moved to Saturday.” NASCAR quickly confirmed that two separate aircraft issues disrupted the travel timeline, with some teams still grounded in North Carolina well into Thursday afternoon. Originally, Xfinity drivers were supposed to hit the track twice on Friday with a 50-minute and a 25-minute practice. But now, everything has been pushed to Saturday.

There will be just a 50-minute practice session at 11:05 am ET, followed by qualifying at 12:10 pm ET. Both will take place just hours before the green flag for The Chilango 150 drops at 4:30 pm ET. That’s a serious compression of track time for drivers already on limited prep. Meanwhile, the Cup series adjusted its Friday schedule, too. Instead of midday running, drivers will now get on track later, with a 50-minute practice at 4:05 pm ET and a second, shorter 25-minute session at 5:30 pm ET. The cup race itself, the Viva Mexico 250, stays locked in for Sunday at 3 pm ET. No major disruptions there, just some later practice laps for drivers to get a feel for the road course.

The chaos wasn’t just logistical; it was downright scary for some onboard. NASCAR insider Jerry Jordan added more detail on X, writing, “CONFIRMED: Issue w/ team charter plane heading to Mexico, first noted by driver @ryanellisracing. Team heard ‘a boom’, pilot thinks something flew into engine. Also CONFIRMED per @NASCAR, that everyone is safe. Per FlightAware, teams affected are expected to depart in 28 minutes. Xfinity driver Ryan Ellis took to X to share his most recent update on the situation, writing, “Heading back home again (lol). My commercial flight, which has a connection afterward, keeps getting delayed. @AmericanAir.” 

Thankfully, no one was hurt, and NASCAR confirmed that all personnel involved in the scale were accounted for and safe. But it’s a reminder of just how tricky International travel can be for a sport that usually keeps its action stateside. This wasn’t the welcome anyone expected on NASCAR’s return to Mexico, but the teams are finally on the way, ready to race, shaken but steady.

However, if there’s one driver soaking in every second of NASCAR’s return to Mexico, it’s Daniel Suarez. The Monterey native isn’t just racing on home turf; he’s making it personal, cultural, and downright electric.

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Daniel Suarez gears up for Mexico with a new helmet

As the only Mexican-born Driver to win the Xfinity Series championship (2016), Suárez isn’t just racing at home; he’s celebrating it. And he’s doing so with a brand-new helmet that’s already turning heads, painted by Mexican artist Latapi Jorge.

Suarez posted his helmet on social media, saying, “This is the helmet I will be wearing for the NASCAR Mexico City weekend! A very special helmet designed by the great Mexican artist and friend, Latapi Jorge. This helmet represents my culture, my country, and the warrior that is within all of us. It is a huge honor for me to be Mexican and be able to represent my home country and my fellow Mexicans. Let’s have a great weekend!”

Suarez will be pulling double duty this weekend, running in both the Chilango 150 Xfinity and the Viva Mexico 250 Cup Series main event. While he is still chasing his first win of the 2025 Cup season, his runner-up finish at Las Vegas showed that he is still very much in the hunt. He’ll be driving for JR Motorsports, co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., in the Xfinity race.

Alongside Suarez, fellow Mexican drivers Andrew Perez De Lara and Ruben Rovelo will also be suiting up for the Xfinity Series. The fans in Mexico couldn’t have asked for a bigger homecoming. But let’s be real: when Suarez rolls out of the garage with the helmet lining under the Sun, it won’t just be raised there. It’ll be a full-blown fiesta. Suarez may be running the Xfinity Series late on the weekend, but he’s gearing up for a packed schedule, and all eyes will be on the hometown hero.

Could Mexico City be the place where he scores his first win of 2025? Drop your thoughts in the comments!