NASCAR in Mexico City: Where to watch, start time, stream, lineup, race preview for inaugural Viva Mexico 250 - CBSSports.com

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Compared to all other forms of motorsport throughout the world, NASCAR maintains an identity as being distinctly and unmistakably American. But as the language of racing is universal, so is the language of NASCAR.

For the very first time in the sport's modern era, the NASCAR Cup Series races outside the United States this weekend with its first-ever trip to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the Viva Mexico 250. Located in Mexico City and named for Mexican racing heroes Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez presents a 2.42-mile, 15-turn course that will greatly challenge the Cup field as they try to become the first of their generation to win a points-paying international race at the highest level of stock car racing.

When: Sunday, June 15, 3 p.m. ET

Where: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez -- Mexico City, Mexico

Stream: Amazon Prime

The unfamiliar settings and language barrier of Mexico City (Daniel Suarez not included) aren't the only adjustments needed this week. There is also the matter of Mexico City's elevation, as Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez sits at an elevation of nearly 7,500 feet above sea level. That's over three times the elevation of the next-highest Cup Series track above sea level, which is the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at a meager 2,000 feet.

Higher elevation, of course, means less oxygen, which puts a premium on the strength and conditioning of each Cup driver as well as the steps they've taken to prepare for Mexico City's environment. But just as the drivers are affected physically by the higher altitude, so too are the machines they drive.

The thinner air at higher elevation will also affect the engines of each Cup car, with Roush Yates Engines CEO Doug Yates telling reporters this week that Mexico City's air could reduce horsepower by as much as 20%, with cooling the engine being a major challenge at low speeds under caution. In advance of this, NASCAR will allow each manufacturer to use two different sets of hood louvers during practice to see which one best cools the engine, which will then be used for the rest of the race weekend.

Engine failures were a constant during NASCAR's first stint racing in Mexico City when the Xfinity Series visited Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the 2000s, as there was an average nearly seven engine failures a weekend between 2005 and 2007. However, there were no engine failures in 2008, the last race at Mexico City before being taken off the schedule.

Shane van Gisbergen (+330) -- There was some talk after Circuit of the Americas earlier this year that van Gisbergen may have lost his advantage as a road course racer or that the rest of the Cup field has caught on to the technique that he brought with him from V8 Supercars to win in his debut at Chicago in 2023. Whether or not that proves to be the case remains to be seen, and it wasn't as though SVG was an also-ran at the first road race of the season at Circuit of the Americas.

Van Gisbergen led 23 laps on his way to finishing sixth at COTA in March, a clear message that he's still got the right stuff on road courses. Not only that, but SVG has started coming into his own as a whole, as he's finished inside the top 20 in three of his last four starts. Suggesting that the No. 88 team now has a higher baseline for pace beyond road racing.