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For the first time 67 years, the NASCAR Cup Series will host a points race outside of the United States at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City on Sunday. While many in the NASCAR world are excited about the race, others have approached it with fear-mongering over safety and outright xenophobia.
Second-year driver Zane Smith, whose father, Mike, co-owns an off-road racing team with deep ties to Mexico, says he’s grown frustrated with the way that people in the industry have discussed the Mexico City race.
Zane Smith admitted on a Zoom call today that he’s been frustrated by overreactions within the NASCAR industry to racing in Mexico City, whether it’s concerns about Montezuma’s Revenge or the idea that it’s a dangerous place.
“It reminds me somewhat of Chicago, too. Like, ‘Oh my… pic.twitter.com/nZcMPLDv5y
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) June 11, 2025
NASCAR Driver Zane Smith Says He’s Frustrated With Mexico City Fear Mongering
“My honest answer is there’s a lot of overreaction from a majority of the industry, and it’s frustrating to hear and deal with,” Smith said. “I have spent a good amount of time down in Mexico. I know I have vacationed in a different spot with a group of friends in Cabo for the past few years. But there’s a lot of people that are overreacting.
“It somewhat reminds me of Chicago. It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is gonna be a train wreck.’ And then we go to Chicago and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is like the most fun weekend ever.’ You just have to know what to expect a little bit in Mexico City and Mexico in general,” Smith added. “There are good and bad areas, just like there is everywhere. You definitely do have to watch what you eat and drink. From my standpoint, I know what I’ll be eating and drinking because I’ve been on the good and bad side of that. But it’s just common sense and being smart. I feel like the saying better safe than sorry is definitely true this weekend.”
Yes, NASCAR teams did have a police escort into the city. But as Smith points out, Mexico City is no different than any other major city on the planet. Most areas are extremely safe, and there are some that are dangerous.
But over 56 million tourists visited the city in 2023. The overwhelming majority of those tourists were extremely safe and had no concerns. Any talk of the race location being too dangerous is just ridiculous fear-mongering from people who are terrified of any or anyone they’re not familiar with.