Kyle Larson Says Mexico Trip a Wake-Up Call as NASCAR Forces Drivers Out of Comfort Zone originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Kyle Larson, like his fellow NASCAR Cup Series competitors, has a routine each race weekend during the season. It’s repeated over and over and over.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver visited with the media on Saturday in Mexico City during a race weekend that has been dramatically different from the previous 15 in the 2025 campaign as it is the first time the Cup Series has raced outside of the US borders in a points-paying race since 1958. With such a different environment and subsequent changing of routine, a reporter asked the 2021 champ what he’s enjoyed about his experience south of the border.
“Mexico’s been fun. It’s a different feeling weekend for us here,” Larson admitted. “We don’t have our motor coaches and all that, so we’re all kind of put up in the same place. You’ve got to ride shuttles together.
“It’s honestly really fun and enjoyable to be around your competitors and get to know each other a bit better because on a typical weekend, we just kind of lock ourselves in wherever we’re at. We don’t talk to anybody or anything. So it’s nice that, yeah, you’re almost forced to hang out with each other. It’s cool. You get to know them, so I’ve enjoyed that.”
While talking with reporters, @KyleLarsonRacin made an interesting admission how Mexico has forced drivers out of their comfort zone and routines. pic.twitter.com/2J8PXFc3h8
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) June 15, 2025
A short time later when asked a separate question about what NASCAR might take from the experience and incorporate into future events at home, the 32-year-old unexpectedly brought up the situation again.
“I like hanging out with the other drivers, but I don’t know how you ban motorhomes and force us to stay at the same hotel in places like Pocono,” he laughed. “But it’s fun.”
Larson and the Cup drivers race Sunday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET on Prime.
Related: Kyle Larson Admits to Change in Personal Life That His Fans Won’t Like
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.