NASCAR has addressed rumors regarding the June race weekend in Mexico City, saying that the Xfinity and Cup Series events will indeed take place as planned.
These rumors surfaced in the garage during the trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway in February. They then gained ground on social media as the Daytona Road Course was listed as a potential replacement.
Sources in NASCAR first tackled the rumors and indicated to media members that they were incorrect. Cup Series Managing Director Brad Moran then directly addressed the situation during a March 11 appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
"We have a big drive on going global, and we're definitely doing it," Moran said. "We're definitely going. Everything's set up. I've been there myself once. We've had teams that have been there for probably eight months or so, putting everything together.
"...There's been a lot of energy put into this. And again, like I said, we've got great partners with (concert promoter) OCESA, and we're going to be there on June 13-15th in Mexico City and ready to go."
As Moran explained, the Cup Series hasn't held an international points event since 1958, when Richard Petty and other drivers competed in Toronto. Lee Petty won the race.
Holding a race weekend in Mexico City is part of a larger push to add more international events to the Cup Series schedule. Brazil, Canada, and Europe were all destinations mentioned by Moran, but he noted that Mexico City is the first stop on the global stage.
The rumors have persisted, yet NASCAR has continued to hype up the trip to Mexico City. The sanctioning body held an event in Mexico City featuring Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, and Daniel Suarez. It then welcomed international media members at Circuit of the Americas the following weekend.
Moving the international Xfinity and Cup Series races to the Daytona Road Course would only hamper these international efforts.
"I would put the rumors to bed because we are going to be racing in Mexico in June," Moran said in conclusion.