Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is Mexico’s crown jewel of motorsport, a track that’s been turning heads since 1959. Nestled in Mexico City’s Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City, its 2.674-mile Grand Prix layout, a Formula 1 staple since the ‘60s, mixes blistering straights, tricky chicanes, and the electric Foro Sol stadium section. At over 7,300 feet, the thin air is a beast, sapping engine power and downforce, making every lap a test of machine and driver. It’s a venue that demands respect, whether you’re in an F1 rocket or a stock car brawler.

From 2005 to 2008, NASCAR’s Xfinity Series tackled a shorter 2.518-mile version, tweaked with chicanes to suit the heavier stock cars. Big names left their mark: Martin Truex Jr. won in 2005, Denny Hamlin in 2006, Juan Pablo Montoya in 2007, and Kyle Busch in 2008. Montoya’s win came after NASCAR ditched a chicane to boost passing, showing the sport’s knack for adapting to the track’s challenges. Those races proved the circuit could handle NASCAR’s unique style, turning it into a road course proving ground.

Now, NASCAR’s back for more with the Viva México 250, the first Cup Series points race outside the U.S. in nearly 70 years, set for June 15. Paired with the Xfinity Series’ Chilango 150, the event uses a new 14-turn, 2.417-mile layout that dives into the Foro Sol. It’s a historic moment, blending American stock car grit with Mexico’s racing heritage, but the high-altitude beast of a track is ready to throw curveballs at drivers and teams.

The track limits and the dive bomb moves in Turn 1 are going to turn heads, but for some reason, a few fans are trying to stir the pot on Reddit, highlighting the slow movement of the Next Gen cars in the chicane, right in front of the stadium section. “Was it just me or did all the cars during the P1 & P2 broadcast look slow??”

There were concerns about the performance of the stock cars at an elevation of 7,500 feet above sea level. But this isn’t the first time NASCAR machines have been running laps around this venue. The essess mentioned above require precision from the drivers, and cutting through the corners at high speed isn’t the best practice on a tricky patch. Well, this was the argument made by a lot of fans who quickly shut down this notion with their reactions and opinions online.

Fans defend NASCAR’s grit against F1 comparisons

One fan cut to the chase, “Of course it looks slow. They’re going through a chicane built for cars that weigh half as much.” NASCAR’s Gen-7 cars tip the scales at over 3,300 pounds, dwarfing F1’s featherweight 1,500–2,000-pound machines. The track’s chicanes and stadium section, designed for agile, high-downforce cars, expose the stock cars’ heft, which struggles to pivot and accelerate through tight corners. But again, it was the tricky section of the course that demanded the drivers to slow down their speeds.

Another fan pointed out the learning curve, “Most of these guys have also never run the track. They aren’t going to be running hot laps immediately.” Unlike F1 drivers, who live on road courses, most NASCAR pilots are oval specialists, facing just a few road circuits yearly. Mexico’s new layout, with its elevation shifts and braking zones, demands practice to master. Early sessions naturally see cautious laps as drivers like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson feel out the 2.417-mile beast.

Speed comparisons sparked debate too, with one fan noting, “Race lap record on the new layout at Cota is a hair over 87 mph. Fastest laps in practice were 92-93 today so they are faster than Cota and about 5mph slower than Sonoma.” Mexico’s practice laps hit 92–93 mph, topping COTA’s 87–88 mph average but trailing Sonoma’s 97–98 mph. It’s proof NASCAR’s not crawling—it’s just navigating a technical track differently than high-speed ovals, holding its own in road course terms.

Expectations got a reality check from another fan, “I’m not sure what you were expecting here. They’re not going to perform like F1 cars do at this circuit, mostly because they’re much heavier and don’t have nearly as much downforce or tire grip.” F1 cars, with over 5,000 pounds of downforce and sticky Pirelli slicks, are built for tracks like this. NASCAR’s Goodyear tires and minimal aero make them underdogs on chicanes, but their brawny design shines in contact-heavy racing, not precision cornering.

Altitude’s impact sealed the case, “They are at elevation so the engines are making less horsepower, in the slower sections this becomes the most apparent. It’s not as bad once they get more up to speed as the air being thinner also means less drag (and consequently less downforce) the broadcast said there was 22% less oxygen where they are compared to the average nascar race.” At 7,500 feet, the air’s 22% thinner, choking engine power and cutting downforce. NASCAR’s fuel-injected engines mitigate some loss, but slow sections highlight the struggle, as broadcasts noted.

Fans aren’t buying the “failure” narrative—they’re rallying around NASCAR’s unique flavor. Mexico’s track may not play to stock cars’ strengths, but the Viva México 250 is about grit, not F1 flash. These defenses show a fanbase ready to celebrate the sport’s heart, even if it doesn’t match Formula 1’s finesse.