Christopher Bell draws parallels between the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and Indy Road course layout

During media interactions at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Christopher Bell compared the layout and grip of the track to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Bell’s statement came in relation to the NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico, where he finished second.

Asked to describe the Mexico City track in one word, Christopher Bell said it reminded him of Indianapolis, noting the comparable grip and configuration. Chase Elliott backed him up, saying several sections on the Autódromo felt “very, very similar” to the Indy Road Course.

Christopher Bell pointed out that the feel and layout of Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez closely resemble what drivers experience at the Indy Road Course. Bell specifically pointed to the similarities in grip and overall flow of the track. In his own words,

“Well, I don't know about one word, but for me, it really reminds myself of Indianapolis, the Indie Road Course. It has a lot of similarities. I feel like the grip level um and and honestly the track layout is very similar.” [0:51 onwards]

One of the most standout features at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is the Foro Sol stadium section. This part winds through a baseball stadium and forces drivers to go through a tight, technical path.

In terms of race impact, the comparison may help teams refine their setup for the Mexico race by drawing from what’s worked at Indianapolis. For Bell, that preparation paid off—he climbed from 31st on the starting grid to finish second in the Viva Mexico 250, only behind Shane van Gisbergen.

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Christopher Bell recovers from Xfinity setback ahead of Cup Series runner-up finish

Just a day before his strong Cup Series showing, Christopher Bell’s weekend had taken a hit. Competing in the Xfinity Series’ Chilango 150 for Sam Hunt Racing, Bell was forced to retire early due to engine failure after showing strong pace.

Christopher Bell started the race in third and looked fast early on. But he lost rear grip coming out of the stadium section near the end of Stage 1 and backed into the wall. He dropped positions but fought back hard, even overtaking his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs at one point. By the third stage, though, his No. 24 Toyota began smoking heavily, forcing him to pull into the pits and retire.

Bell later explained that the failure came without warning. As reported by Speedway Digest, Bell said:

“No, and let it be known, that I didn’t miss a shift with the h-pattern (laughter). I don’t know—it just let go getting into the stadium section, so it is a bummer.”

He added that the car had “some things it needed to be a little bit better”

Despite the DNF, Christopher Bell's rebound in the Cup Series was impressive. He recovered from a deep starting position and passed several contenders to secure second place behind van Gisbergen, who dominated the final laps.

Bell’s Xfinity retirement marked him as the last classified driver out of 39, while Daniel Suárez made history by winning the Xfinity race on home soil.