Overview

• NASCAR will hold its first Cup Series points-paying race outside the United States since 1958 at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, a 2.429-mile, 15-turn circuit perched at 7,349 feet above sea level.
• Two team charter flights experienced mechanical failures during takeoff, prompting NASCAR to push Friday’s Cup practice and qualifying sessions to later times.
• Meteorologists predict rain risks of up to 80 percent during practice and 40 percent on race day, with wet-weather tires available for teams preparing for slick conditions.
• Denny Hamlin will sit out to welcome his third child, handing his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to Ryan Truex for his first Cup Series start since 2014.
• Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez has designed a special helmet celebrating Mexican culture as he competes at his home-country venue, and the Xfinity Series will run The Chilango 150 on Saturday.