Chase Elliott aims for road course victory in Mexico City as NASCAR prepares to make history with its inaugural points-paying Cup Series race outside the United States in the modern era. On Sunday, drivers will compete at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, a 15-turn circuit at 7,350 feet above sea level, covering 100 laps (242.9 miles) in the highly anticipated Viva Mexico 250.
This event marks the sport’s first international points event since 1958, when Lee Petty drove an Oldsmobile to victory in Toronto, with his son Richard Petty making his racing debut in the same race. The return to international competition is seen as a milestone by the NASCAR community and adds an extra layer of excitement for both drivers and fans.
Chase Elliott’s Dominance on Road Courses Faces Fresh Challenge
Among the group of road-course specialists, Chase Elliott stands out as a driver eager to tackle the twists and turns in Mexico City. Elliott currently leads all active drivers in road course wins in the Cup Series, having earned seven victories on tracks stretching from New York and California down to Mexico. Only Jeff Gordon, who has nine wins, and Tony Stewart, with eight, have more road course wins in the series’ history.
Elliott’s last victories on twisty layouts came in 2021 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Both of those tracks have been removed from the Cup Series schedule since their appearances in 2021 and 2022. Despite a strong record — which includes twenty top-five finishes, three poles, and 489 laps led in 36 road course events — Elliott has not claimed a win on these layouts since 2022.
The driver from Dawsonville, Georgia, who races the No. 9 car for Hendrick Motorsports, remains a seven-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver award winner. However, the current regular season in his tenth full campaign has been steady, but without the flashes of victory fans have come to expect. In fact, through 15 races this year, Elliott has notched only a single win — earned in Texas in 2024 — following a stretch that dates back to his Talladega triumph on October 2, 2022. Notably, he is the only competitor to finish every race in the top 20 this season, placing him fifth in the standings, 112 points adrift of leader William Byron, with an average finish of 11.7.
The Importance of Consistency and Perseverance
Throughout his Cup Series career, Elliott has proven his ability to win, with nineteen victories overall — including five each during his title-winning 2020 season and again in 2022. Yet, to win races, drivers typically have to lead laps, something Elliott has struggled with this year. He has led just 95 laps so far, compared to the combined 2,074 laps led by points leaders William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Denny Hamlin. On the other hand, Denny Hamlin, who will be absent from the Mexico race due to his child’s birth, recently demonstrated that leading only a handful of laps can still result in victory, as shown at Michigan where he led five laps en route to his 57th career win.
Fans and observers have sometimes questioned the decisions of crew chief Alan Gustafson and the performance of Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports team during periods of struggle. Despite facing criticism and a current winless streak of 43 points races, Elliott remains optimistic about the future. He emphasized the value of teamwork and resilience during difficult times:
“We care a lot about each other,”
—Chase Elliott, NASCAR Driver
“I think it’s important that we’ve stuck together through this, and I think there is light at the end of the tunnel somewhere. I also think we’re going to be way better for it once we do get on the other side because we’ve had to learn some hard lessons.”
—Chase Elliott, NASCAR Driver
What Victory in Mexico Could Mean for Elliott and NASCAR
As the top Cup Series driver on road courses, Elliott seeks an end to his current streak without a win and the chance to tie Tony Stewart for second-most road course wins with eight. A victory on the international stage would not only boost his season’s momentum, but also underline his legacy as one of road racing’s most proficient drivers in the Cup Series.
The return of NASCAR’s points competition to an international venue is significant, potentially opening new opportunities and fan bases for the sport. Whether Elliott can finally break his winless spell and claim a historic victory in Mexico City remains the key question as the Cup Series writes a new chapter in its long history.
