Backseat Blonde - Mexico Opens Up New Opportunities, Old Wounds

March 7, 2005

Mexico Opens Up New Opportunities, Old Wounds
By Allison Wagda

The internationalization of the National Association for
Stock Car Auto Racing has begun.

The implications of this seemingly innocent south-of-the-
border Busch series foray are far more profound than you
may imagine. Mexico City may have welcomed NASCAR
with open arms, and I certainly don’t begrudge them a chance to see a race up close
and personal.

But this wasn’t an experiment folks. It was not a generous nod to Mexico’s growing
fan base. It was not an exhibition race, nor a publicity stunt, nor an anomaly. It’s a
trend. A warning sign. An opening salvo in a carefully constructed plan to become the
dominant worldwide racing series.

Evil plots are in abundance these days as NASCAR turns over every stone looking for
more and revenue sources. Ratings fall off once the NFL season starts? Create a
fake playoff system. Need exciting finishes? Hmmm, how about a green-white-
checkers rule?

Need some new fans who haven’t heard how much you’ve destroyed the credibility of
the sport? Just hop across the border. Who cares about those bitter old fans
anyways?

Cup racing in Mexico will be next on the agenda, mark my words. You think it’s in the
distant future? Not likely, not with the Mexican government reportedly paying NASCAR
over FORTY MILLION DOLLARS to bring the sport to its country.

Yeah, I didn’t think Mexico’s President Vincente Fox attended because he was such a
race fan.

I wonder if NASCAR shared any of that loot with the Busch teams. You know, those
folks who were compelled to attend even if they couldn’t afford it because NASCAR
made it a points race. I read somewhere that the travel costs incurred by teams
could not be recouped even with a win. Niiiice.

I also wondered, but not enough to look up, if any teams attempting to run a full
Busch season didn’t qualify because of all the extra Cup drivers, road course ringers
and the local drivers.

Expect Cup racing in Mexico in 2006 or 2007, probably around the same time Honda
and/or Toyota enter the fray. Apparently, a new Mexico touring series is in the works,
so Cup and Busch races will be needed immediately to support that series. Canada
can’t be too far behind - NASCAR opened an office in that region quite awhile ago.

You know, had this only been a novelty race, I would have been supportive. I’m all for
exposing new fans to NASCAR. It’s a sport I (usually) enjoy, and would love to have
others discover the joys of being a racing fan.

But this effort at expanding beyond our borders will only subject NASCAR’s most
loyal fans to more anguish. The South bore the brunt of the growing pains when
NASCAR decided to have a greater presence out West, and they will do so again
when Cup racing goes to Mexico and Canada. Say adios to Darlington. Who else?
Maybe Homestead?

It ain’t gonna be Fontana or Vegas or Sear’s Point or Phoenix, that’s for sure.

I still watched the Mexico Busch race, if only because it was Sunday and there was
no Cup event. Well, I sort of watched it. In the beginning, it was a bit of a lark to see
the cars winding around an open-wheel track. The race was also a bonus point in
NASCAR’s favor with regards to the diversity issue. It was a pretty atmosphere too,
nice mountains in the background, green grass.

And even threatening rain couldn’t dampen the hyperbole offered by the FOX Sports
commentators as they proclaimed Dale Earnhardt Jr. (not even there) the
“entertainment star of the world” and exclaimed with glee over the capacity crowd of
“over 100,000 fans” (the stadium holds about 60,000 I think, and at least several of
the grandstands didn’t look entirely full on TV but sure, I’ll take their word for it).

It was also interesting seeing some international racers go for it with the mix of
Busch and Cup drivers, for about 10 laps. Then it was boring. Let me rephrase - it
was excruciating.

Around lap 40, I grabbed an extra couch cushion, pulled a blanket over my head and
dozed off. I woke up with about 10 laps to go, and very little had changed. Even still
had the same leader.

I went back to sleep. My dream was more exciting.

If that was the best we had to offer Mexico’s racing fans, I have to feel sorry for them
as well. What a waste of hard-earned money. Even the IRL managed to offer fans
three-wide racing action yesterday.

Perhaps NASCAR is trying to lull all to sleep so we won’t notice what is happening.
Or perhaps the current leadership doesn’t get that good racing will attract far more
fans than any glossy marketing campaign ever will.

Or perhaps they just simply don’t know what good racing is anymore.

Have a comment? Post it in our new forum or e-mail me!

© Copyright 2004 BackseatBlonde.com. All Rights Reserved, Any copying, redistribution or
retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of
BackseatBlonde.com is expressly prohibited. Backseat Blonde columns are the musings and
thoughts of one person, and I encourage you to think for yourself. I'm not always right.