Mexico City promoter urges NASCAR, IndyCar to build foundations for future events

The promoter of motorsport events in Mexico City says the soccer World Cup played a big role in not hosting NASCAR and IndyCar in 2026 but that both series need to build foundations for 2027 events.

NASCAR hosted a Cup Series race for the first time this year but will not return in 2026, while IndyCar has been working on adding the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to its schedule but is yet to finalize its plans. At this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, CEO of the CIE Group, Alejandro Soberon Kuri, says taking a pause and laying the groundwork for success in 2027 is the right approach.

“[NASCAR] was fantastic; it’s a great event,” Soberon said. “I think it's something that can be built on. Next year, there were some scheduling problems and it was difficult, and the World Cup in the middle didn’t facilitate certain things, but I think IndyCar and NASCAR have great potential to grow in Mexico and take advantage of this wonderful fanbase, so I think we should expect [news on that for 2027].

“You need to learn to build something. It takes time. It's the same when we launch a new festival. In the first year, it’s excitement, but you need to keep building. Probably after the third edition of something, it really gets to its potential.

“NASCAR knows that they need to build on that and they're willing to, as well as we are. I think after the World Cup – which is such a massive presence that nobody wants to be fighting too much, unless you’re really consolidated you don’t want to take that fight – 2027 is going to be the year that everybody is going to come with a lot of energy.”

Mexico City Grand Prix managing director Federico Gonzalez Compean also urges both categories to commit to the local market from a pre-event point of view.

“Because of the conversations we have either with NASCAR and IndyCar, is they have to work the [region],” Gonzalez said. “It's not just going to happen just like, ‘OK, we just come and suddenly everything is going to happen.’

“One of the conversations and suggestions that we have made is, ‘Guys, open an office over here.’ Work the [region], develop the [region], develop the space so you can increase the promotion from here to the States and from the States to here. Work it. It’s something you have to build, it doesn’t happen just like a miraculous thing.”

Despite crossovers between the successful F1 event and IndyCar – boosted by FP1 runs for Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta’s impending switch to the F1 feeder series – Gonzalez says one series wouldn't necessarily boost the other.

“I believe, personally, that it's a completely different market," he said. "I think each of these races should have its own personality. You can do some work between the races, but in my opinion, they should become one solid thing with their own personality, with a different ticket price, with a different approach, so they shouldn't be working or treated as the same as Formula 1. That's my opinion.”