Kyle Larson raises driver concern over altitude, tire fall off in NASCAR Mexico City pre-race

Racing at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City will present several challenges to NASCAR Cup Series drivers on Sunday. The altitude is one of them, and Kyle Larson is not overlooking it.

The 2.42-mile, 15-turn road course is 7,315 feet above sea level. That’s more than 5,300 feet higher than any other active NASCAR track. Larson admitted he’s never raced in elevation like this before and talked about the challenge during the Prime Video pre-race show.

“I’ve never raced in elevation like this, especially in a stock car,” Larson said. “So, I didn’t know what to expect as far as the downforce and how all that goes. You hear a lot about it, but you’re like, ‘Ah, when you get there, it’s probably going to feel the same.’ I would say the brake zones, for sure, feel difficult. Easy to lock up, but like that last little bit, you think you can start to come off the brake, but you have to hold onto it a little longer because if you carry just a little too much speed… you lock up.

“I do feel like the downforce has been something I’ve liked. I haven’t talked to anybody else, but that’s the one thing I’ve picked up on the most.”

Kyle Larson talks about challenges of racing in Mexico City

Beyond the elevation, Larson is expecting tire fall off to be a real issue. He predicts they’ll be many mistakes throughout the 100-lap race.

“I think tire fall off is a big thing for the Cup cars,” Larson said. “At least, it felt like that for me in practice. We got to Lap 12 or 13, and it was like a light switch of a lot less grip. Every corner became way more difficult. That’s Lap 12. We’re talking going 30 plus laps. It’s going to be a handful today. There’s going to be a lot of mistakes. I think the team and driver that do the best at limiting those mistakes is going to be the one that wins.”

Larson will start sixth in Sunday’s race. He is looking for his fourth victory of the 2025 season.