NASCAR’s historic return to Mexico City has hit an early snag, with aircraft problems forcing major schedule changes for this weekend’s racing events at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Two separate aircraft issues grounded multiple race teams in North Carolina on Thursday, preventing their planned departure from the Charlotte area and delaying their arrival for what marks the Cup Series’ first race weekend in Mexico City. The transportation problems have forced competition officials to completely restructure the on-track schedule.

The Xfinity Series has seen the most significant changes to its weekend format. Originally scheduled for two Friday practice sessions—a 50-minute session followed by a 25-minute stint—the series will now condense to a single 50-minute practice on Saturday at 11:05 a.m. ET. Qualifying will immediately follow at 12:10 p.m. ET, with the field split into two groups. These sessions will serve as the only preparation time before Saturday’s The Chilango 150, which remains scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET on The CW, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio.

The Cup Series has managed to salvage both of its practice sessions, though with revised timing. Both Friday sessions have been moved to later in the day—4:05 p.m. ET for the 50-minute session and 5:30 p.m. ET for the 25-minute session. Sunday’s Cup Series schedule for the Viva Mexico 250 remains unchanged, with the race still set for 3 p.m. ET on Prime Video, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The NASCAR Mexico Series has also been affected, with its two events rescheduled to Friday at 1:30 p.m. ET and Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

Despite the logistical challenges, the weekend still represents a milestone for NASCAR as the Cup Series returns to international competition in Mexico City. The schedule adjustments, while significant, allow all planned events to proceed as teams work to overcome the transportation hurdles that began their Mexico City adventure on an unexpectedly challenging note.

The revised schedule demonstrates NASCAR’s flexibility in managing unforeseen circumstances while maintaining the integrity of competition for what promises to be a memorable weekend of racing south of the border.