Adrian Fernandez led four laps Sunday in Mexico City. Credit: Autostock

Fernandez leads native charge in Mexico City

Mexico's most famous racer finished 10th in Telcel Motorola 200

MEXICO CITY -- Adrian Fernandez made a bold charge to the front of the field Sunday in the Telcel Motorola 200, causing the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez crowd of 94,229 to leap to their feet when Fernandez passed Martin Truex Jr. for the lead on Lap 33.

	Jorge Goeters led the first 24 laps of Sunday's race. Credit: Autostock
	Telcel Motorola 200 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. M. Truex Jr. Chevrolet 2. K. Harvick Chevrolet 3. C. Edwards Ford 4. S. Hmiel Chevrolet 5. B. Said Dodge * Complete results, click here

Fernandez is Mexico's favorite son, the racing hero on par with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the United States. The red-white-and-green Chevrolet - bearing the colors of Mexico's flag -- led for four laps, much to the delight of the hometown crowd.

"Ah, that was awesome," Fernandez said after the race. "How many laps did we lead? It was great, especially coming from the back. I knew we could do it."

Fernandez had to start at the rear of the field because of a crash in qualifying Saturday, and then had to go to the back again after a penalty while coming to the pits.

But Fernandez, an open-wheel winner making his first NASCAR start, rallied to finish 10th.

He was the best of the nine Mexican drivers making Sunday's historic race, but he and several of his countrymen deserved a better fate.

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Polesitter Jorge Goeters easily led the first 24 laps before eventually blowing an engine. Carlos Contreras ran in the top 10 late in the race before gear box problems sidelined him.

Six Mexican drivers finished, with Fernandez 10th, Jimmy Morales 20th, Ruben Garcia Novoa 27th, Jose Luis Ramirez 21st, Mara Reyes 35th and Michel Jourdain Jr. 37th. Only Fernandez, Morales, Garcia Novoa and Ramirez were on the lead lap.

Jourdain Jr., who crashed hard but returned after repairs, still said it was a successful race for his countrymen.

"I think it was a very good event," Jourdain Jr. said. "It's sad that no Mexican did any better, especially for me. I feel bad because we unloaded so fast. We were so fast Friday morning, and I really felt that we had something very good for this race.

"But I guess that's racing and we'll go to Vegas, and we'll be back here next year."

Goeters agreed with Jourdain Jr., citing the large crowd on hand for the first Busch Series points race outside the United States.

"Yes, of course, with all of the Mexican fans," Goeters said. "I think it's going to grow a lot."

The growth of the race likely would have been aided by a Fernandez victory, which appeared possible midway through the event.

But then a controversial call as the leaders were coming on to pit road for a regular stop all but ended Fernandez's chances.

Truex Jr. and others ducked to the right in Turns 7 and 8 to make the approach to pit road, but a caution came out. NASCAR later ruled than Truex Jr. had already passed the commit line, but Fernandez hadn't -- so Fernandez was penalized.

"That was a very close call," Fernandez said. "Put it this way: Even if I could've, there was no way I couldn't made it. It was almost like a second or a half-second. By the time I heard 'Yellow,' I was already inside the pits."

Some of the large crowd cheers Adrian Fernandez on to a top-10 finish. Credit: AP

Fernandez was hardly angry, however. But it did mean he had to push hard the last half of the race. And that was different for Fernandez, considered one of the cleanest open-wheel drivers.

"I never touched anybody until the last 20 laps," Fernandez said. "My car was clean. Then everybody started getting a little bit too aggressive, so I had to use my car a little bit.

"People were fighting a little bit too dirty at the back -- chopping you off when you were on the brake and already committed. I'm not used to that."

That wasn't the only thing to which Fernandez wasn't familiar. For one, Kevin Harvick passed Fernandez on a restart when Fernandez didn't expect it. Second, Fernandez had a hard time with the pit road speed limit, for in open-wheel cars, speed is controlled by a computer chip in the engine.

"I'm used to different rules and different things," Fernandez said. "I'm so glad I finished the race because there are so many things I could make a mistake (doing)."

But Fernandez stayed clean, getting a hug and a pat on the back from crew chief Jim Long. The smile couldn't be wiped from Fernandez's face after the race.

Will he get a chance to smile again? Sunday's race was a one-off proposition, but Fernandez would love to do it again.

"I had a lot of fun, and I'm sure I would take another one if they invite me," Fernandez said.