Though NASCAR has yet to confirm if the Cup Series will return to Mexico City next season, lessons from the inaugural race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez already are reverberating.
In a review of the first international Cup points race of the modern era, the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast revealed numerous takeaways, and some could be applied this season.
NASCAR managing director of racing communications Mike Forde said the tire packs installed throughout the 15-turn, 2.42-mile road course were effective in minimizing the track limits violations that have been a nuisance in recent road course races. There had been reluctance to use the tire packs because of potential race disruptions, but Forde said there was only one significant impact that moved a barrier a few feet without necessitating a caution flag.
“I think you’re going to see a lot more of it moving forward at road courses,” Forde said of the tire packs. “It seems like such a rudimentary solve, but it’s one that worked.”
The trip across the border wasn’t without issues as the arrivals of some Cup and Xfinity teams were delayed by two planes being grounded. Forde said NASCAR would consider arriving a day earlier for future international events or allowing teams autonomy in managing their travel (which was centralized for the Mexico City trip).
Forde also addressed multiple incidents involving Carson Hocevar during the weekend. NASCAR took no action after the Spire Motorsports driver was involved in an altercation with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., but Forde said there would be “extra eyes for sure in Pocono” on the two drivers who also tangled at Nashville Superspeedway. “I don’t think we plan to sit either of them down before the race (in Pocono), but we’ll be on the lookout,” Forde said.
After questions about whether Hocevar intentionally caused the final caution of the Mexico City race by stalling after a spin, Forde said NASCAR determined no foul play (noting the driver lost a lap under the yellow).
Other topics covered during the 19th episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:
— Why Zane Smith had to serve a penalty after his No. 38 Ford was repaired from crash damage.
— Kyle Larson earning a point for the race’s fastest lap despite finishing 36th after his No. 5 Chevrolet was damaged in an early wreck. Forde said there would be no changes to the rule, but NASCAR intended to be rigorous with inspections to ensure the legality of damaged cars that set the fastest lap in a race.
— The waiver policy that allowed Denny Hamlin to miss the race for his newborn son without having an impact on his playoff points. Forde said childbirth had been codified in the rulebook before the season as a medical reason for being granted a playoff waiver.
— How Alex Bowman was able to receive clearance to race despite lingering injuries from his crash at Michigan International Speedway.
— The timeline and criteria for determining if Mexico City would return to the 2026 schedule.
Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series hits Pocono Raceway for the Pocono Mountains 250 on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The CW App will air Xfinity Series qualifying at 11:05 a.m. ET Saturday.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is back in action at Pocono Raceway for the MillerTech Battery 200 on Friday (5 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). FS2 will air Truck Series qualifying at 1:40 p.m. ET Friday.
After years of being a NASCAR sponsor, SciAps CEO and co-founder Don Sackett wanted to make more of an impact. His vision was Viking Motorsports, a competitive and non-affiliated NASCAR Xfinity Series team.
Sackett had a trial run in 2024, fielding the No. 38 car, which was prepared by RSS Racing in Georgia. Over the offseason, the team became its own entity and relocated to NASCAR’s Charlotte hub, leasing space from BJ McLeod.
Matt DiBenedetto, who believed in Sackett’s vision from the start, returned as the team’s driver as it switched manufacturers, crew chiefs and car numbers; the only returning pieces of the team from 2024 were DiBenedetto, Sackett and spotter Doug Campbell.
“The main goal last year was to get this thing off the ground, and that situation with the Siegs helping us was great for getting Viking Motorsports off the ground,” DiBenedetto told NASCAR.com. “The main goal was for us to truly become our own self-sufficient team.”
Ultimately, Sackett wanted his fingerprints in operating a team and creating a unique culture. With an established driver in DiBenedetto, the veteran racer streamlines the process, having built various teams in the past. That was important for both parties as it also attracts employees.
“Having a driver like Matt takes a lot of the unknown out of the equation,” Jeremy Lange, general manager of Viking Motorsports and formerly with Leavine Family Racing, said. “I know we have a talented driver behind the wheel. If we can build race cars that can race, we know we have a guy that can drive them versus an unknown or a kid who has money. We wanted to build it around a driver that we know can drive.”
DiBenedetto has made a living by overdelivering for smaller race teams. But even he thinks this was a different setting, given the team’s from-the-ground-up start.
“We have erratically improved and helped grow and build teams in the past,” DiBenedetto said. “But this one was different because it was starting from absolute scratch, completely nothing. That is what is probably more rewarding about it because it feels like building a business.
“We’ve had great people put in our path and a lot of tools for success that’s grown so much from looking back a year ago to where we are today and where we’re heading for the rest of the season.”
James Gilbert | Getty Images
Constant change led to a busy offseason for the small race team. The first full-time employee was hired in November, shortly after the 2024 campaign concluded. Veteran crew chief Pat Tryson was a pivotal acquisition, and Viking now has more than a dozen full-time employees.
To prepare for 2025, employees juggled working seven days per week over the offseason. It helped that everyone pulled rope in the same direction, knowing the beast of an opening three months of the schedule with no weeks off until early May.
Entering 2025, Viking established that cracking the top 15 would be a morale boost. Even then, the No. 99 team would be battling some of the series’ Goliaths.
“Our goal was to build our notebook of what we can do from our end,” Lange said. “You also have to put your flag in the ground and say, ‘we’re here.’ But you need to put your best foot forward every weekend, so people recognize that you are wanting to improve.
“We’re not satisfied finishing 20th; we’re not satisfied finishing 10th. We want to compete for victories, but we also have to be realistic in where we are and the lifespan of our race team. We’re racing teams on a weekly basis that have been doing this for a long time and have a lot more resources than we do. Not an excuse, just a fact.”
Through the opening 15 races of the season, the No. 99 team’s highlight was finishing fifth at Talladega Superspeedway in April. DiBenedetto narrowly missed out on top 10s in each of the first two races of the season, placing 11th and 12th, respectively. He has three additional top 20 finishes, including a 16th-place outing in NASCAR’s return to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez last weekend.
DiBenedetto ranks 24th in the driver standings, and the No. 99 sits one spot lower in the owner points. The team’s next contest comes at Pocono Raceway this Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“We’ve had some hurdles to start the year, but I feel like we’re caught up and in a better spot,” DiBenedetto said. “We want to prove ourselves as a team, and it’s all about growing relationships with the manufacturer and gaining the respect of everybody in the sport, knowing this Viking Motorsports team is here to stay and long for the haul. We want to build a successful Xfinity Series team.”
DiBenedetto, who has been around the top three divisions for more than 15 years, is fully committed to Viking. He hopes to be the driver who can continue being in the trenches and build a competitive organization. He recalled telling Sackett: “I’ll run the rest of my career with you guys if that’s a possibility because I believed in them 1,000% just like they believed in me.”
As the team continues to learn from each other, Lange is happy with the swift progress of the No. 99 bunch, but he won’t be satisfied until the team is competing up front.
To celebrate 75 years worth of memories, the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team will be celebrated throughout the summer with “Wood Brothers Wednesdays” on The NASCAR Channel.
Wood Brothers Racing has been around since 1950, when Glen and Leonard Wood teamed up to pioneer a legacy that has transcended time.
Glen was behind the wheel of their car at Bowman Gray Stadium in 1960 and took the Wood Brothers Racing team to Victory Lane for the first time. The team scored its 101st NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2025, when Josh Berry took the checkered flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Bookending those victories were triumphs everywhere from Daytona to Darlington to Rockingham and everywhere in between. Twenty of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers have piloted a car for the team throughout their storied history, one that is well worth celebrating.
This weekend will celebrate memorable Wood Brothers moments throughout the 1980s. It also highlights some of their success at Pocono Raceway, the site of this weekend’s Cup Series race (Sun., 2 p.m. ET, Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The thrilling 1986 Miller High Life 400 at Richmond Raceway will be the first full race on tap Wednesday. The race was won by Kyle Petty, marking his first victory in the Cup Series.
Ryan Blaney’s victory at Pocono in the 2017 Axalta Presents the Pocono 400 will be on the schedule. It was the first victory of Blaney’s Cup Series career, as well as the team’s first victory at the track since Neil Bonnett was victorious at the “Tricky Triangle” in 1980.
Bonnett’s victory in July 1980, as well as the 1983 Firecracker 400 from Daytona International Speedway, finish out the day’s races. That Daytona contest was won by Buddy Baker. It was the 19th and final victory of his Hall of Fame career.
The “Memory Lane” original content series will relive both the race from Richmond in 1986, as well as Blaney’s 2017 Pocono victory.
The NASCAR Channel delivers 24/7, always-on content, featuring the latest news and information from around the sport, original programming and race replays.
It is a FAST channel (Free-Ad Supported Television) and can be watched on your TV or mobile device via one of the streaming partners, such as Tubi or Xumo Play.
Spire Motorsports fined Carson Hocevar $50,000 for comments he made during a recent livestream, the organization announced Tuesday evening.
Hocevar disparaged Mexico City during a since-deleted stream on Twitch before traveling south for the NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural race at the 2.42-mile Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. In a statement, Spire Motorsports addressed the comments, issuing a fine to its sophomore driver and mandating cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training “after a thorough internal review of Carson Hocevar’s recent livestream remarks about Mexico City, and in close consultation with NASCAR,” the statement said.
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) June 17, 2025
The fine will be donated in equal portions to three organizations that serve Mexican communities, the statement said:
— Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross) — providing humanitarian and medical relief across Mexico.
— Un Kilo de Ayuda — a nonprofit combating childhood malnutrition and supporting early-childhood development in rural communities.
— Fondo Unido México (United Way Mexico) — funding local NGOs that improve education, health and housing in 22 Mexican states.
“These actions are consistent with Spire Motorsports’ core value of RESPECT, which is something we proudly display on every race car, team uniform, trackside hauler, and digital channel,” the statement read. “Respect is not a slogan. It is a daily expectation that we ‘walk the walk’ in how we speak, compete and serve the communities that welcome our sport.
“Carson’s recent comments made during the livestream fell short of that standard. They did not represent the views of Spire Motorsports, our partners, or NASCAR. Carson has acknowledged his mistake publicly, and his prompt, sincere apology demonstrated personal accountability. We now take this additional step to underscore that words carry weight, and respect must be lived out loud.”
The 22-year-old driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet issued an apology on his social media accounts late Sunday evening following the event, in which he finished 34th, one lap down.
“Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should ever give an opinion about what any place is like other than Portage, Michigan,” Hocevar said on his social media. “When I answered that question on a stream, I was skeptical about the trip so far and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here. Now that I’ve actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen, my opinion has changed. I am embarrassed by my comments, by the race I ran, and I may have to move here to hide out from Ricky [Stenhouse Jr.] anyway.
“Count this as another lesson for me in a season I’ve learned so much. Don’t believe everything you hear without seeing it yourself. If anyone should give anyone or any place the benefit of the doubt it’s me. I’m sorry Mexico City. Consider me an ally going forward and an example of getting off Twitch and seeing things with my own two eyes.”
The team informed NASCAR of its penalties to Hocevar, the statement read.
“NASCAR has confirmed that our team-imposed discipline satisfies the sanctioning body’s requirements,” it continued. “Together we remain committed to showcasing NASCAR’s global growth, celebrating the passionate Mexican fanbase we experienced firsthand last weekend, and ensuring every member of our organization treats hosts, competitors, and communities with dignity.”
Hocevar also made contact with Stenhouse’s car during the Viva Mexico 250, the second time in three weeks his bumper has met that of Stenhouse’s No. 47 Chevrolet, leading to a post-race confrontation.
The NASCAR Cup Series resumes action this weekend at Pocono Raceway with the running of The Great American Getaway 400 on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET (Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
That rumbling you heard from Mexico City’s high elevations could have been the enthusiastic fans in the stadium section of Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — or it just might have been Shane van Gisbergen shaking up the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race with his dominant road course victory instead.
And while the battle along the elimination line went from zero to 19 points after the Viva Mexico 250, adding another winner to make it 10 this season has the playoff race still feeling tight with only 10 races remaining until the field is set.
Let’s check in on the bubble battle as we exit Mexico City and get ready to head to Pocono Raceway for Prime Video’s last race of the season (2 p.m. ET, Sunday, Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Stats courtesy of Racing Insights.
Drivers provisionally qualified for playoffs with a win (10): Kyle Larson (three wins), Denny Hamlin (three wins), Christopher Bell (three wins), William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain.
Winless drivers more than 100 points above the elimination line (two): Chase Elliott (+146) and Tyler Reddick (+123).
With 12 spots filled by the above drivers, there are four spots open for the rest of the field to fight over, including these drivers closest to the elimination line:
Rank
Driver
Cutoff
13
Bubba Wallace
+57
14
Chase Briscoe
+39
15
Alex Bowman
+22
16
Chris Buescher
+19
ELIMINATION LINE
17
Ryan Preece
-19
18
Michael McDowell
-43
19
AJ Allmendinger
-45
20
Kyle Busch
-50
Bubble analysis: Besides race winner SVG, the only two drivers who gained points against the elimination line this week were the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Chase Elliott (who gained four points) and Alex Bowman (up nine points) after they finished third and fourth, respectively, at Mexico City.
Elliott is the active leader in road-course wins with seven but has yet to win on a road course in the Next Gen car, so Elliott showing signs of life at Mexico City could mean he will be a factor in upcoming road races at Chicago, Sonoma and Watkins Glen. Meanwhile, Bowman was the winner at Chicago last season, so those two could quickly make it 12 different winners.
Another driver who is adept at road-course racing is Michael McDowell, and although he lost six points against the elimination line and sits 43 points below after a fifth-place finish at Mexico City, he jumped five spots in the standings due to some other drivers like AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch and Carson Hocevar not taking advantage of the trip south of the border. Despite this development, McDowell still might need to win his way into the playoffs.
Off the charts: Finishing sixth at Mexico City, John Hunter Nemechek still lost 20 points to the elimination line, which is the perfect illustration of what a winner like SVG (coming from 130 points below the elimination line) can do to everyone else’s playoff chances. Ty Gibbs, who had a stronger car than his 11th-place finish indicated, lost 25 points against the elimination line and fell below Nemechek and into 25th place in the playoff standings.
With three road courses and two superspeedways — EchoPark (formerly Atlanta) and Daytona — on the schedule before the playoffs begin, there will be chances for more havoc to hit. However, it’s debatable whether Pocono will be one of those wild weeks.
Most of the former winners at Pocono are either already locked into the playoffs or reside above the elimination line, including Denny Hamlin (seven wins), Ryan Blaney (two wins) — and even one-time winners Elliott, Bowman, Chris Buescher and Joey Logano. However, the exceptions to the rule are Busch (four wins) and Brad Keselowski (one win), who are both in need of a big turnaround as they sit 50 and 140 points below the elimination line, respectively.
MEXICO CITY — Shane van Gisbergen stood tall on the highest Victory Podium step, wearing a traditional Mexican sombrero and spraying champagne to celebrate his win in Sunday’s Viva Mexico 250 at the world-renowned Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.
The entire sport undoubtedly felt equally as triumphant following the first international points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race weekend in half a century.
Regardless of a couple of mid-week logistical issues, the race weekend itself was certainly viewed as a success by those who planned, those who executed, those who raced — and, as importantly, those who attended.
The facility was world-class, the fans were knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and the drivers they came to watch were basking in all the Mexican amor shown to them.
From Front Row Motorsports’ driver Todd Gilliland to Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace, the drivers were surrounded by large and loud groups of avid fans wherever they roamed from paddock to fan zone.
What about Trackhouse Racing driver Daniel Suárez, who worked so hard and passionately for months to help promote NASCAR’s race weekend in his home country? He was like a motorsports version of The Beatles. Huge groups of fans followed him everywhere – chanting his name, wearing his race shirts and holding up homemade signs.
The only time Suárez wasn’t grinning this weekend came as he stood on the starting grid Sunday afternoon alongside his family, joining in with a children’s choir as they sang the Mexican National Anthem. Suárez’s emotion was palpable.
And he rewarded his massive support base, winning Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at his home road course and running up front early in Sunday’s Cup Series race, too. Even his 19th-place finish was treated more like a victory.
“Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations, the people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy,” said Suárez, van Gisbergen’s Trackhouse Racing teammate. “I had expectations for this weekend, not the results, but, [for] the event, and I can tell you that I personally exceeded those expectations.
“So very, very happy for that. Very blessed. I hope that we can do it many more times.”
It was certainly a prevailing theme.
NASCAR Hall of Famer and Hendrick Motorsports executive Jeff Gordon spoke with reporters before the race and expressed enthusiasm about the sport’s experience in Mexico City.
Later, he even delivered a hybrid starting command in honor of the Spanish-speaking crowd, telling the grid: “Pilatos, start your engines!”
“Listen to the fans,” he said, smiling when asked about the reception NASCAR received. “There are a large amount of fans that want to see NASCAR in person. Internationally, I think it opens a lot of doors for sponsorships and if we have a crowd that’s as energetic today as it was yesterday – of course Daniel [winning] played into that too – but to me, the most exciting thing about coming here is the passion, the excitement, the energy that fans here in Mexico bring. … that’s why I think we’re here.”
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media
NASCAR executive Ben Kennedy wouldn’t go so far as to promise a return engagement, but he was also understandably pleased with the weekend, acknowledging there are some logistical learning curves, but overall heartened by the passion shown. He said that 90% of those who attended the race were from Mexico, with 44% coming from Mexico City.
“Today wasn’t just a race,” said Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovations officer. “This was a historic moment for our sport, for Mexico, for the global motorsports community and for a lot of folks that came together to be able to make this happen.”
The big question Sunday night post-race was whether NASCAR would return to Mexico City next year for an encore. Asked about it by the American NASCAR beat writers and again by members of the large international media contingent, Kennedy smiled and deferred, noting NASCAR was still working on the 2026 schedule.
But he seemed very pleased with the inaugural Mexico City weekend.
“We’ve been bold and innovative,” Kennedy said, mentioning recent NASCAR events at the Los Angeles Coliseum and the first street race in downtown Chicago as the sport’s willingness to try new venues and travel to new destinations.
“This was the next milestone moment for us, bringing the race internationally. I can tell you, we’re very bold about continuing to bring the series internationally, and Mexico is a great place to do it. This weekend is a great example of that, and I would say we’re very hopeful to be back here.”
Kennedy added: “I think the beauty of our sport, and we’ve seen this several times over the past few years, is that no matter what’s going on outside of these four walls, outside of this race track, even outside of this country, sports can be great unifiers and NASCAR has proven that time and time again that it builds communities.
“It brings people together with shared passion and shared values. And that’s what we saw this weekend. People from all walks of life came together and watched an amazing race with the best drivers in the world, and that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Forest Smith has raced many types of vehicles for more than 25 years. In 2014, he decided to switch from asphalt stock cars to motorcycles. But he kept his modified car — literally on a shelf in his garage — for almost a decade.
“After I was injured, and after about a year of just staring at it up in my garage, I thought, ‘Well, maybe it’s there for a reason,'” Smith said.
In 2019, Smith crashed his motorcycle while competing in the Mint 400 off-road race in Las Vegas. He was left paralyzed from the waist down.
The life-altering situation took him out of racing for more than a year as he grew accustomed to his new way of life. One of the changes was learning how to drive a car with hand controls.
A fabricator by trade, Smith had always built his own race cars. He realized the hand controls were pretty simple, and he decided to find out whether they could be placed in his modified.
“My whole life I’ve been a troubleshooter, so from that point, it was just a matter of how do I make this work without electronics?” Smith said. “Because there are several other guys that are paralyzed that are racing. … But that’s all with fully electronic throttle and braking and all that.
“Mine’s a little more rudimentary where it’s still a cable. I just wound up welding a linkage system that works onto the steering wheel, and that’s what I run the throttle with. So I basically squeeze the steering wheel to apply the throttle, and I have a brake lever off the left side of the steering wheel.
“I’m basically driving with one hand, which I never was great at, but now I just do, and I kind of shift my left hand to brake as I need to.”
(Photo: Chet Strange/NASCAR)
Smith these days races at Colorado National Speedway, a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series track in Dacono, Colorado. He competes in the track’s Grand American Modified series, which awards Division IV national championship points.
When he first returned to a race car after his accident, though, Smith needed a full afternoon to feel comfortable with the new setup. His biggest concern was whether he would be able to feel if the car was loose or tight.
“That feeling that people know the sensation of the car sliding before it slides, it’s kind of there,” he said. “My hand control could probably be a little bit better. It’s probably a limiting factor for me now, just having control. We have more horsepower than we need, which I love; I always lobbied for that. But when it’s an inch-and-a-half of squeeze, I’m still working on that. It’s kind of like a light switch.”
Smith went to the first test session telling himself that if driving didn’t feel right, he wouldn’t try to push it. Not only did he want to make sure he was able to drive and compete again, but he wanted to make sure everyone else on the track was comfortable with his presence, too.
“We went out for a practice, and I think the people there kind of knew,” he said. “And I was really concerned with, are they going to accept you or not? Are they going to trust you? And I don’t blame them. You’re talking about very expensive equipment. Are they going to trust running side-by-side with this guy and wonder what his capabilities are?
“But I think everyone feels good about it now. It did take a good afternoon, and I’ve raced long enough that I understand the limit. I’m not the guy that’s going to go out and crash things. I know to back off a little bit and live to race another day. Whereas if I was younger, maybe that wouldn’t have happened. I maybe might’ve overstepped my bounds a little bit. But being older, being in the handicap position, I wanted to make sure I that I gained the trust of my competitors back.
“I think if you went and talked with anybody at the track without my knowledge, I think I have as good of a reputation as anybody else.”
(Photo: Chet Strange/NASCAR)
The fears of not knowing whether he could race — or what others would think — went away in that first afternoon. He said it was the best he’d felt since his injury.
“I can’t even begin to describe what a terrible situation being paralyzed is. But there are people that have it far worse. … Being paralyzed is terrible. I’m not going to sugarcoat it whatsoever. There’s so many terrible things about it, and it lets you know that you’re paralyzed every second of every day.
“Except when I got in the race car and you hammer the throttle. It all disappeared.
“That was probably the most exhilarating. Plus I’m obviously an adrenaline junkie, so just feeling that itch for speed. Literally just not feeling injured. Feeling equal, not feeling like I’m in a chair. I’m no different than anybody else. I’m driving with my hands, but we’re in the same car.”
Smith returned to racing full-time at Colorado in 2022. He finished ninth in the modified standings that season, followed by a fifth in 2023 and 11th in 2024. He’s tied for sixth in the standings this year.
“We work really hard,” he said. “We’re trying to get better, and it’s not being paralyzed that’s slowing me down. We have a good group of guys, too. They’re just fast. The competition level right now is high at our track. That’s a good thing. It makes you bring your A-game every time.”
Smith’s first experience with racing came when he was 16 and working as an auto mechanic at a local Dodge dealership. The service manager there raced a sprint car at a small track in Denver.
Smith had never been around race cars or been to a race, “but I went down with him and watched and just was like, I don’t how to explain it,” he said. “I don’t know if I found racing or it found me, but once I’d seen it, I was just hooked. There’s nothing else that’s ever done that. I just felt like, this is what I should be doing.”
He got his first car in 1989, and other than the few years after his injury, he hasn’t stopped. He said the sport — both racing and working in the garage — has been difficult to escape. He builds all aspects of the car in his own garage, something else he didn’t think would be possible after getting hurt, but he’s probably doing more now than he was before.
“Even now, I should be working hard at making sure I can retire at some point,” Smith said with a laugh. “I’m 56, and I want to be sure my wife’s taken care of because she worked so hard at taking care of me and everything that we’ve done throughout her life. But here I am throwing money at tires for the car and doing all that. I’m not putting us in the poor house, but I could probably retire a year or two sooner if I wasn’t throwing money at a race car.
“But you have to enjoy life, too.”
(Photo: Chet Strange/NASCAR)
Smith’s wife Cindy is his biggest help both in the garage and on race days.
“If I didn’t have a the wife that I have, there’s no way,” he said. “There’s too much this life requires being handicapped. We’ve got four tires to mount to get ready for this weekend. There’s not many gals that would come out and mess with tires and help do all the things, load the trailer, hook this up, all of that.
“Being a racer almost requires you be a very selfish person, but for that to work, you need a selfless person, and my wife is very selfless. Otherwise it wouldn’t work.”
Smith won the modified championship at Colorado National in 2010 and last won a race there in 2012. His goal this year is to first win a trophy dash race to collect his first trophy since returning to the car.
Getting that win “will take a lot of emotional pressure off myself,” he said. From there, he wants to get to Victory Lane in a main event.
“And if we could put that together, then we’ll see where it goes,” he added. “Unfortunately you’re a racer, so you can say that will be enough, but if that box got checked, then you’d want to win five. But I’m old enough now I can look at myself and be objective and chuckle and realize that it really is just about having fun. I just enjoy it, what we do. I can’t imagine just sitting around watching TV or doing other stuff.
“It kind of keeps me having fun, and I enjoy it and always have, and apparently always will.”
For much of Sunday’s race, Ty Gibbs appeared to be the only driver capable of giving Shane van Gisbergen a run for his money in Mexico City.
SVG eventually cruised to a dominating victory at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the New Zealand native claiming the victory in the NASCAR Cup Series’ first points race outside the United States since 1958. But statistics provided by NASCAR Insights prove that Gibbs was a real factor before a caution in the final stage disrupted his strategy and relegated him to an 11th-place finish in the Viva Mexico 250.
According to NASCAR Insights, Gibbs was the day’s top driver on restarts while also ranking second in both speed and defense. The only car on track ranked faster than Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota was SVG’s No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. In many ways, it was a banner day for the sophomore Gibbs, who ranks just 19th on restarts, 21st on speed and 29th on defense for the whole of the 2025 season.
Gibbs’ day was unraveled, however, by a Lap 65 caution for Carson Hocevar, who spun in Turn 15 and was stuck broadside while trying to refire. SVG and other leaders pitted on Lap 64 ahead of the caution, but Gibbs, Michael McDowell, Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott and others had yet to receive service. That necessitated a visit to pit road under caution, relinquishing track position while those who previously pit were able to stay out and cycle back to the front of the field.
And while Gibbs had speed in his car, he wasn’t able to carve through the field as well as others on the same strategy, evidenced by ranking seventh in Passer Rating. Elliott rushed to finish third as the day’s second-best passer, and McDowell finished fifth, ranking as the day’s sixth-best passer.
“Sometimes life just doesn’t work out for you. You just have to keep digging,” Gibbs said.
McDowell’s top five brought him slightly closer to the provisional elimination line to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, but SVG’s vault from 33rd in the standings to a playoff berth via his victory has destabilized the hunt to make the postseason on points. Exiting Mexico City, McDowell sits 18th, two spots outside the provisional 16-driver grid by 43 points. Just 10 races remain in the regular season.
— Cole Custer earned his first top-10 finish of 2025 in the No. 41 Haas Racing Factory Ford, finishing eighth, ranking fourth in Restart Rating and ninth in Defense Rating.
— Daniel Suárez, the home-country hero, ranked second in Restart Rating in his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet despite a 19th-place finish.
— Ryan Blaney came home 14th but ranked higher than that in every metric: third in Passer Rating, fifth in Defense Rating, sixth in Restart Rating, eighth in Pit Crew ranking and 11th in Speed Rating.
— Despite crashing out on Lap 7 and finishing 37th, Kyle Busch was ranked fifth in Speed Rating for Sunday’s race.
