Drivers Speak Out on NASCAR’s Tire Pack Strategy to Control Track Limits

Drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series shared their thoughts after NASCAR installed tire packs at the apex of several corners for the weekend’s event in Mexico City. This approach is aimed at keeping competitors inside track boundaries and discouraging corner-cutting.

After the first practice session, officials even added another tire pack, making the enforcement more visible. Along with these barriers, yellow lines were painted through the esses, and any driver crossing those faces a stop-and-go penalty at a specific location on track.

While some corners allow flexibility with how much pavement drivers can use, certain sections now have much stricter boundaries. Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing welcomed the use of tire packs.

In Friday’s press conference, he explained that Cup drivers always find ways to push both the car and the circuit to their limits. Wallace noted it doesn’t make sense to keep widening tracks to accommodate drivers’ lines.

Instead, he feels the tire packs force everyone to respect the racing surface. Wallace spent considerable time on the simulator focusing on keeping the car between the lines and expressed confidence that sticking to the designated track will pay off once racing begins.

NASCAR remains careful about placing tire packs where high speeds are reached. Past incidents, like the notable crashes at the original Charlotte Roval chicane, show the risks of poorly placed barriers.

In Mexico City, though, drivers made it through practice without a single major issue caused by the new packs. The careful positioning is designed to balance safety with effective track limit enforcement.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott also spoke about the tire packs. Elliott mentioned that, during his preparation in the simulator before arriving in Mexico, the tire barriers had not been part of the digital layout.

On the sim, he sometimes tested aggressive lines by running off-road, but he generally stayed inside the lines, suspecting that would be expected in the real event. Elliott said the placement of tire packs before the stadium section dramatically changes the approach to those corners compared to the simulator runs.

He predicted the field would push limits throughout practice and learn through experience where penalties would be imposed. Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier was preparing for Saturday’s race and discussed tire packs with Michel Jourdain Jr.

Allgaier pointed out the mix of sections with and without strict track limits and described the situation as a “moving target.” He said firsthand observation made it clear the barriers would influence how corners are driven.

The risk of running over a pack goes beyond a simple penalty—an off-track mistake could now seriously damage a car, especially since backup cars are unavailable at this event. Allgaier stressed that small errors could have big consequences on this circuit.

Drivers must now weigh the risks of chasing every possible advantage against the threat of damage or penalties. With Cup and Xfinity fields adapting to tire packs and painted lines in Mexico City, teams continue to fine-tune their strategies during practice sessions.

Everyone is watching to see how the new track limit enforcement affects racing action across the weekend.