More than 100,000 people attended last year's race in Mexico City. Credit: Autostock

Mexico City challenging for Busch regulars

Seven Mexican drivers have crucial experience at road course

Three weeks, three tracks -- not exactly the ideal scheduling situation for teams trying to save money.

But such is life in the Busch Series as it takes center stage Sunday with the Telcel-Motorola 200 (2 p.m. ET, FOX) at the 2.518-mile Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course in Mexico City, complete with a Busch-record $2.4 million purse.

Boris Said celebrated winning the pole for Sunday's race. Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

QUALIFYING RESULTS •   Race Lineup MEXICO CITY COVERAGE When Mexico City was listed on the '05 Busch Series schedule, it wasn't the most anticipated trip of the season. But that has changed this season.  •   Complete story,  click here Many of NASCAR's biggest sponsors have a big presence in Mexico, making it a market the sanctioning body can't ignore.  •   Complete story,  click here Although fewer Nextel Cup regulars are entered this weekend in Mexico City, By the Numbers shows that outsiders still rule when the Busch Series hits the road courses.  •   Complete story,  click here Mexican drivers Carlos Contreras, Adrian Fernandez and Jorge Goeters recently answered some questions about this week's race in Mexico City.  •   Complete story,  click here •   Complete coverage Pole winnerBoris Said wins the pole and will lead the field to green Sunday Hometown heroCrowd favorite Adrian Fernandez turns in solid run Ready for racingNASCAR.COM's Carolina Escobar reports from Mexico City Listos para correrLas principales figuras mexicanas comentan como estan para la gran carrera El regreso ha mexicoFernandez, Goeters y Jourdain, los principales pilotos mexicanos se mostraron muy positivos de cara a la carrera del domingo Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836 LISTEN IN SPANISH •   FOX to broadcast in Spanish

It's the third different style of racing in just three weeks for the series, after a restrictor-plate, rush-hour-like race at Daytona and an evening at the downforce-dependent California.

"The first month is brutal, just brutal," said Rich Hubbs, crew chief for JR Motorsports and rookie Mark McFarland. "I wish they would do something to break it up to where the first three weeks were similar tracks. It is hard for a new team to build two speedway cars, two intermediate cars and two road-course cars out of the gate."

Fortunately for McFarland, he's guaranteed to be in good equipment. He'll be driving the same Chevrolet Martin Truex Jr. parked in Victory Lane last year.

"I spoke with Martin about the track, and he said it has a lot of short-track corners and there is a lot of braking," said McFarland, who will be in his first road race since driving go-karts more than a decade ago. "He gave me some pointers about the shifting points and what gear to be in at certain parts of the track.

"Having last year's winner giving you tips is a huge help, and I can't thank him and Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. enough."

Being a startup team, McFarland's got a stiff learning curve.

The same goes for rookie Todd Kluever.

"This will be a weekend of firsts for me," Kluever said. "I've never been out of the country before and I've never run a road race."

But prior to this season, Kluever had never run a Busch Series race, either. Yet he sits fifth in the points following a seventh-place finish at Daytona and a 12th-place at California.

"I really hope we can do well in Mexico this weekend," Kluever said. "We've still got three more races that we have to race our way into so that puts some added pressure on me, especially on a road course."

But Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is not just any road course, and it's nothing like either of the other two road-course appearances NASCAR drivers rarely make.

"It's definitely a unique place," said Kevin Harvick, last year's runner-up. "It is really flat and the corners are really sharp. It doesn't have all the elevation changes that Infineon has."

"The track is unique," added Busch veteran David Green, "with the chicane down the long frontstretch and some very slow technical corners, leading back to a blind last corner, then to the frontstretch that's surrounded on both sides [with] a sea of fans."

Last year, more than 100,000 people came out for the race, and more are expected this Sunday to cheer on several local favorites.

With the previous stops being identical to the Nextel Cup Series, nearly half the field has been Cup regulars. That's not the case in Mexico, but there'll be a new breed of Buschwhackers with 13 Mexican drivers or road-course specialists in the field -- and better yet, trying to win.

"Win? Absolutely they can win," said last year's third-place finisher, Carl Edwards. "That's why I'm so worried about [this race]."

Winning is certainly the goal of Adrian Fernandez. One of Mexico's top professional drivers, he'll start fourth in the No. 57 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on Sunday after driving the No. 5 Hendrick car to a 10th-place finish at last season's race. He was the only Mexican driver in the top 10.

"I was a little surprised at how well we ran," Fernandez said of his Busch Series debut. "This time I'm going down there expecting to run well and maybe contend for a victory."

Several of the hometown big guns that had memorable performances in 2005 are back for '06. Carlos Contreras, who qualified 22nd on Saturday, started eighth last year and ran all day around the top 10 before dropping out with mechanical problems. Jorge Goeters started from the pole last year and secured a fifth-place starting spot for Sunday.

"I hope to give Mexico and Brewco Motorsports a great race," Goeters said.

But road racer Boris Said, who was hired for this race by Evernham Motorsports, stole the show in qualifying Saturday by winning the pole position. His speed of 102.665 mph bested Denny Hamlin and Johnny Sauter for the top spot.

Four of the top 10 spots were filled by Mexican drivers or road-course specialists.

Hubbs said their experience on the Mexico City track is what's important.

"The biggest challenge," he said, "is the fact that you have so many drivers that are entered in the race that have a lot of experience on that track."