Kyle Petty Slams “Complainers and Whiners” over Mexico City Cup Race Criticism

NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty silenced critics over the Cup Series' debut weekend in Mexico City.

Kyle Petty Slams “Complainers and Whiners” over Mexico City Cup Race Criticism

Kyle Petty

NASCAR made history last weekend when the Cup Series raced in Mexico for the first time, alongside the Xfinity Series. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit was full of action for fans. However, it divided opinions within the garage. Now, NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty has slammed haters over negative views on the Mexico round.

The NASCAR weekend in Mexico was never going to be easy. The track, situated at over 7,500 feet above sea level was always going to be a challenge for the Next-Gen cars. Moreover, the circuit has some interesting characteristics, which even pushes Formula 1 drivers to the limit. Luckily, the stock car series had a positive outing in Mexico City.

Local hero Daniel Suarez provided fans with a spectacular victory in the Xfinity Series on Saturday, a dream start to his weekend. While Shane van Gisbergen headed to Victory Lane for the Cup Series race the next day. Crowds filled the stands as they got a taste of the US’ premier racing category at home.

Kyle Petty was one of the admirers of this weekend. The 65-year-old labeled the round as ‘historic’ for NASCAR. Petty made it clear that he was going to pay no attention to anyone whining over the sport’s decision to race in Mexico City. The veteran racer looked at the bigger picture with the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez weekend.

I loved this race in Mexico. It was a historic event. I don’t care what anybody says about it. I don’t care about the complainers, the whiners, get out of town. This was a historic event for NASCAR.

Kyle Petty said on NASCAR’s YouTube channel.

He pointed out that this round allowed the stock car racing series to be exposed to a completely new audience in another country. Moreover, Petty did not underscore the significance of Suarez’s presence in NASCAR, as it gave fans an incentive to watch the race, with his victory becoming a special moment for the entire country

It took us to a city of 9.5 million people. It took us to another country and exposed us to fans who maybe knew what our sport was but had never seen it. Now, they know what it is. Thanks to Daniel Suárez, everyone knew in Mexico what our sport was. What a great day for Daniel and a great day for Mexico. He carried an entire country on his back to Victory Lane in the Xfinity race.

Kyle Petty explained

Kyle Petty doesn’t want NASCAR to become F1

NASCAR is the biggest racing series in the US. However, Formula 1 is considered the pinnacle of motorsport. F1 races in over 20 countries’ across 5 different continents, making it a truly global sport. On the other hand, NASCAR has usually just stuck to the ‘Land of the Free,’ with the Mexico weekend a rare exception. Kyle Petty acknowledged that the stock car series doesn’t need to be F1, but hinted that expansion should not be ruled out.

Kyle Larson and Max Verstappen
Kyle Larson and Max Verstappen (Via IMAGO)

The 65-year-old was thrilled to see New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen win the Cup Series race in Mexico in an American sport, signifying that NASCAR was becoming more international. However, Petty asserted that he doesn’t want the series to become Formula 1. Rather, he cited that NASCAR will soon have a bigger influx of foreign talent and potentially expand the calendar further outside the US.

We switch to the Cup side. Shane van Gisbergen — he wins the race. He’s from New Zealand and he wins in Mexico in a NASCAR race which is an American sport. Does that make us international? You bet your bottom dollar it does, and I think we’re going to see more of it. We may never be Formula One, and I don’t want to be Formula One. But I think at some point in time, they’ll be a handful of races outside the United States.

Kyle Petty added

Certainly, overseas markets would be critical to NASCAR’s future growth due to an already saturated US viewership. The Mexico weekend was an example of the success the sport can achieve if it expands further. Though, NASCAR is yet to formally announce plans of more such international additions, Kyle Petty’s comments should be taken seriously.

Read More: Did F1 Champion Max Verstappen’s Advice Helped Shane van Gisbergen to Score 16+ Second Cup Race Win at Mexico?