Who are the legendary NASCAR siblings after whom Mexico’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is named

This month, NASCAR is set to make history in Mexico City. On June 15, the NASCAR Cup Series will race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. This move is its first international points race in the modern era.

The track is named after two of Mexico’s most iconic motorsports figures: the Rodríguez brothers. Pedro and Ricardo Rodríguez were two Mexican racing prodigies who became national heroes in the 1960s. Despite short careers, their achievements in Formula One, endurance racing, and NASCAR helped establish Mexico’s identity in global motorsports.

Both brothers came from a well-supported background in Mexico City, where their father, Pedro Sr., a successful businessman, introduced them to motorcycle racing before they moved to cars. Although better known for their performance in Formula One and endurance racing, both brothers briefly intersected with NASCAR.

Pedro Rodríguez competed in six NASCAR Cup Series races, including a standout fifth-place finish in the 1965 World 600 at Charlotte. The race was arranged in part by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.

Ricardo, too young to compete in their 1959 debut at Trenton Speedway, supported his brother from the pits. Pedro finished sixth that day, ahead of several NASCAR legends, including Junior Johnson and Richard Petty.

Coming to NASCAR was just one piece of their careers. Pedro was the first Mexican to win a Formula One race, taking the 1967 South African Grand Prix. Ricardo, meanwhile, made history by becoming the youngest front-row starter in F1 history at just 19.

Their daring style won them fans around the world, but both careers ended in tragedy — Ricardo died in a crash during practice at the 1962 Mexican Grand Prix at 20; Pedro died in 1971 in a sports car race in Germany at 31.

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was named in their honor shortly after their deaths. Since then, it has become one of Mexico’s premier racing venues, hosting events from Formula 1 to endurance races and now NASCAR. Their legacy continues with the naming of NASCAR Mexico Series support races as the Pedro Rodriguez 100 and Ricardo Rodriguez 120.

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NASCAR Cup Series heads to Mexico City for landmark race

In 2024, when NASCAR officially announced the Cup Series' return to Mexico, it confirmed what had long been in the works — an international push that many in the organization had eyed for years. The June 2025 race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez would be the first-ever points-paying Cup Series event held outside the U.S. in the modern era of NASCAR.

The Cup Series race is scheduled for June 15, 2025. It will be broadcast live on Prime Video. A day earlier, the Xfinity Series will also compete at the circuit, airing live on The CW.

The return to Mexico City follows earlier Xfinity Series races held at the same venue between 2005 and 2008. Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president, said (via NASCAR):

“This has been on our radar for a long time… this is going to be certainly a monumental event for us, the first time we’re going south of the border.”

The Mexico City circuit used by NASCAR has road course and oval configurations. NASCAR will use a 2.518-mile road course layout, similar to what was used during the earlier Xfinity races. Kennedy noted that final race lengths are still in development.

The event's partnership is with OCESA, a major event organizer in Mexico known for promoting the Mexico City Grand Prix for Formula 1. NASCAR also confirmed that Richmond Raceway will go from two Cup weekends to one to accommodate the Mexico event.