A plane carrying NASCAR drivers experienced mechanical difficulties ahead of a planned flight to Mexico City, leaving them all stranded.
The NASCAR Cup Series is set to host its first points race outside of the United States this weekend, with Mexico City to be the venue. The stock car racing motorsports company sent cars and equipment there under a heavily armed guard this week, but sailing, or flying rather, wasn’t as smooth for the drivers as their chartered flight could not get them there.
Over 200 drivers and crew members were left stranded due to a blown engine.
NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Ryan Ellis revealed as much via X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ellis had posted a photo of himself on the flight, along with the caption “Mexico-bound,” but later commented, “Cancel that, plane attempted takeoff, plane made a small boom, we are headed back.”
He then posted a photo of a firetruck from the window, suggesting that there was no choice in the matter.
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“This doesn’t seem optimal,” he wrote.
This doesn’t seem optimal pic.twitter.com/jwr5Apg4zi
— Ryan Ellis (@ryanellisracing) June 12, 2025
Motorsports writer Matt Weaver would note that, “The captain of a grounded plane carrying NASCAR industry people to Mexico as it aborted a takeoff said ‘I dont know if we took a bird but engine 2 blew.”
NASCAR Forced To Change Plans After Airplane Mishap
Fortunately, this happened before the plane got into the air or reached max speed before takeoff.
Many drivers and crew were put on a commercial flight out of Atlanta, which was also delayed due to poor weather. Others flew from Atlanta to Austin, where they were on a layover as of Friday.
As for Ellis, he flew to Miami before heading to Mexico City.
The plane trouble forced NASCAR to alter its weekend schedule. Practice is now set for Saturday instead of Friday, as previously planned.
