Carl Edwards got over his nerves and raced to a third-place finish last year at Mexico. Credit: Autostock

Once anxious, drivers now eager about Mexico

Busch teams enjoy comfort level second time visiting foreign city

Carl Edwards was nervous when told he would have to go to a hospital in Mexico City after wrecking in practice for last year's Busch Series race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course.

He was in a foreign country.

Boris Said finished fifth last year at Mexico. Credit: Autostock

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He didn't know anything about the hospitals.

He was going to be checked by doctors he didn't know.

"I didn't know how we were going to get there, how everything was going to go,'' Edwards said.

By the time he left all the nerves were gone. So were any other nerves Edwards had about everything from drinking the local water to eating the local food to taking a taxi.

There were none of the horrors seen in the suspense thriller Man on Fire in which there were 24 abductions within a six-day period in Mexico City.

"The hospital experience was so neat,'' said Edwards, one of nine regulars on the Nextel Cup series making a return trip for Sunday's Busch Series race. "Everybody was so awesome.

"The nurse that was helping me couldn't speak English. It was pretty funny. We had a pretty good interaction. I'm almost glad that happened. It made me feel a lot more comfortable being there.''

Edwards wasn't alone in his comfort. Most drivers, crew members and owners left with a different perception of Mexico City than the one in which they arrived.

Some even said the extra security provided by their teams and NASCAR wasn't necessary.

"There is a little bit more excitement from the people going back,'' NASCAR chairman Brian France said. "They understand it went smoother than they thought and they figured out how popular they were going to be.

"All those things were unknown last year.''

Boris Said said it was the smoothest first-time event he'd attended. His only complaint was the 25-minute bus ride to the hotel that turned into a 90-minute adventure when the driver got lost.

"He didn't get in a bad part of town, but he hit something and like half the back bumper was dragging for about a half hour until it fell off,'' Said said. "We were all wondering what he hit.''

Otherwise, Said said the trip was perfect.

"The only thing I didn't like was the catered food at the track,'' he said. "It was kind of Americanized. I always try to eat what the locals eat. I ate and drank everything. I'm going to do the same thing this time.''

Car owner Richard Childress said Mexico City is no different than some of the larger cities in the United States.

	Kevin Harvick finished second last year at Mexico. Credit: Autostock
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"If you go into the wrong side of town, you're going to be in trouble,'' he said.

Childress hired a local to help get him around. Before leaving, he gave his guide a shirt featuring the logo of Kevin Harvick's sponsor, "Reese's.''

"Hell, he thought that shirt was worth a million bucks,'' Childress said. "Everything was good.''

Most of the drivers and teams were bused to and from the track. Some flew in on helicopters.

Martin Truex Jr. jokingly said the only time he feared fans was when he got into a heated battle with local favorite Adrian Fernandez for the lead.

"We got close, but we never touched,'' said Truex, who edged Harvick for the victory. "I'm sure all the people in the stands were pulling for him. When I left I made sure I was in a big crowd walking out of there.''

Car owner Felix Sabates said most of the dangers teams were warned about were unwarranted.

"A lot of people didn't want to go last year,'' he said. "They were skeptical of what they were getting into. Now they can't wait to get there.''

Among those is Kyle Busch, who figures he has a built-in fan base with Fernandez as his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.

"I've talked to some guys who went down last year, and they all had a great time,'' he said. "I've been told the people are very enthusiastic about NASCAR and that everyone is very friendly.''

Edwards said getting to Mexico and racing on a weekend off on the Cup schedule is the biggest headache. His Busch hauler was involved in a fatal traffic accident with a car last weekend heading to Texas to switch off with another hauler for the remainder of the Mexico trip.

The driver of the car, who was killed, crossed over the center line and hit the hauler head on.

"There is a lot of traveling and it is hard on those guys,'' Edwards said. "NASCAR is doing the best they can with the schedule. ... I really didn't have a day off this week.

"The drivers have it a lot easier than the crew members. They are the ones that have it the toughest. I like going to Mexico, though. It's fun.''