Christopher Bell believes Kyle Busch holds high-altitude advantage in Mexico as he turns to Martin Truex Jr. for help

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell believes veteran drivers who previously raced at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City could hold a slight advantage over the rest of the field. Bell isn't sure if the high altitude will affect the drivers, but is leaning on the veterans to prepare for this weekend's race.

The 2.42-mile circuit in Mexico City sits at an altitude of 7,500 feet above sea level, which is a significant gain in elevation for NASCAR drivers. Teams are already on top of the cooling requirements of the Next Gen car at such high altitudes, but drivers are split on their preparation for the event, with Zane Smith stating it isn't a big deal.

Christopher Bell said the "million-dollar question" is whether NASCAR drivers are overreacting or underprepared for the Mexico City race. He noted that veteran drivers who previously raced at the track in the mid-2000s have a better gauge on how high altitude affects drivers.

"The answer is nobody knows. I don't know how anybody could say that the altitude would or wouldn't affect us, except for the veterans, like Kyle Busch and Denny have run there at the past. They would be the best gauges of it," Christopher Bell said in an interview with Claire B Lang.

Bell mentioned that he consulted former JGR driver Martin Truex Jr. on how to prepare for the race weekend.

"I did quiz Martin, and Martin said that he didn't remember a lot different back in the day, whenever he went. [But] That was also, it was a long time ago, and the racing has changed a lot since then. We drive hard, we race hard for the entire time. I hope that it doesn't affect. I hope that we feel great whenever we are down there," he added.

Denny Hamlin (will not race at Mexico), Kyle Busch, and Brad Keselowski are the only active drivers who competed in the Xfinity Series at the track between 2005–08. Hamlin and Busch have won races there, while Michael McDowell has a sports car win at the circuit. Mexico native Daniel Suarez also has plenty of experience at the track.

Toyota has set up a hypoxic environment in Mooresville, N.C, where drivers like Tyler Reddick did extensive training for weeks in preparation for the event.

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Christopher Bell relishes the challenges thrown by new track

Christopher Bell is excited to race at a new track, admitting that he relishes the challenges of an unfamiliar circuit. Bell mentioned that he excels in adversity and that racing at new tracks is one of his strong suits.

In the above-mentioned interview with Claire B Lang, the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver talked about his excitement in the lead-up to racing at the venue in Mexico.

"I definitely like new things. For me, the excitement is there to go to a new race track and have a new challenge; I really like that. I seem to excel at adversity. So, going to new places seems to be my strong suit," said Bell [1:50 onwards]

Christopher Bell mentioned that he has put a lot of time and effort into getting used to the 2.42-mile circuit, similar to the effort he put into the inaugural street course race in Chicago.

Bell recently won the race at COTA and is among the favorites to win this weekend's Viva Mexico 250, scheduled for June 15, 3:00 PM ET.