Future in Mexico City up in air as deal ends

MEXICO CITY -- Juan Montoya's winning car wasn't even loaded back on the hauler when speculation began about the future of the Busch Series and Mexico. NASCAR's three-year contract with OCESA to use Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez expired with the running of Sunday's Telcel-Motorola 200.

So what's next?

There appears to be two viable options: Extend the contract with Mexico City or choose to race at another venue in Mexico.

• Send Mark your thoughts ...

Mexico City is a world-class cosmopolitan city -- the nation's capital, politically and financially. With 20 million residents, the city has a tremendous potential fan base. The track and support infrastructure is already in place, with top-notch hotels and dining available. The racing is entertaining.

However, dwindling crowds certainly haven't helped Mexico City's case for retaining the contract. The fans on Sunday were still as vocal and excited as ever. Unfortunately, there seemed to be fewer of them.

Despite numerous advertisements featuring Montoya and other Latin American drivers posted throughout the city, the frontstretch grandstands at the start of the race were perhaps 50 percent filled.

Mexico City has a certain percentage of well-to-do people. However, the overwhelming majority of residents are not. It could be that the disposable income just isn't available to support a race of this type.

In addition, the logistics involved in getting equipment from the United States to Mexico City is formidable, not to mention ferrying teams, media and officials to and from the track. And there's the altitude adjustment, as Mexico City is 7,500 feet above sea level.

So if not Mexico City, where?

One possibility could be Monterrey, the third-largest city in Mexico with an area of 4 million people. It's the nation's industrial capital.

Monterrey is 1,765 feet above sea level. March is the most temperate month. And it's only a few hundred miles from the Texas border.

Plus, there's a fully-functional road course, used by CART as recently as last year.

There is a third option: Take Mexico off the schedule completely. Don't think for a second that'll happen, based on NASCAR's insistence that the Latin American market -- and the growing Hispanic base in the United States -- is ripe for potential growth.

Team owner Felix Sabates -- who was instrumental in setting up the current agreement -- said getting rid of the Mexico race is out of the question.

"No way," Sabates said. "We'll be coming here a long time from now."