Good ol’ boys head south of the border
NASCAR takes Busch Series to Mexico for first time
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The good ol’ boys have already broken free of their Southern roots. Now, they’re eyeing a potentially booming market south of the border.
NASCAR will take its second-tier Busch Series to Mexico this weekend, the first time such a prominent points race has been held outside the United States and perhaps the precursor to going international with the Nextel Cup drivers.
While NASCAR has no immediate plans to hold a Cup race beyond U.S. borders, there’s little doubt that Sunday’s event at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course will be an important step in determining the popularity of stock cars in racing-crazy Mexico.
No less an authority than the King, seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty, calls the Mexican experiment a natural progression in NASCAR’s roadmap for future growth.
“That’s a new segment of fans that we’ve really not tried to tap into,” Petty said. “If we can get a percentage of them interested in our kind of racing, it’s worth going out and trying to get them.”
About a half-dozen Cup regulars have entered the Mexican race — it’s a rare off week for the Nextel series — but Tony Stewart won’t be among them. He’s wary of traveling to a still-developing nation.
“Anywhere you go where they’ve got to get the Federales or the police or whatever they are to escort your rigs to the track, that’s not somewhere where I want to race,” Stewart said.
Robby Gordon, who will race at 2.786-mile road course, isn’t concerned about his safety.
“I’ve been going to Mexico for 20 years, and I’ve always enjoyed myself every time I’ve been there,” he said. “The key is keeping it all in perspective, in knowing where you are and what your consequences may be. I’ve had friends of mine who have gotten in trouble in Mexico before. You don’t want to get into trouble down there.”
Mexicans already have demonstrated their passion for open-wheel racing, evidenced by the massive crowds that turned out for the struggling Champ Car series.
Will stock car racing have the same hold on the populace? Mexico City native Michel Jourdain Jr. believes it will.
“I’m sure it’s going to be huge,” said Jourdain, a former open-wheel driver who switched to the Busch Series this year. “NASCAR is so big in the States, and the press has been following it in Mexico the last couple of years more and more.”
Adrian Fernandez, the best-known racer in Mexico, has a special one-race deal with Hendrick Motorsports for the historic event. His open-wheel driving career is on hold because of sponsorship problems, though he still runs a team in the Indy Racing League.
“I feel like a kid again,” the 41-year-old Fernandez said. “It’s a dream come true.”
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