Track Smack: Dodge needs a big Talladega weekend (cont'd)

3. A crowd of over 72,000 watched Juan Montoya win in Mexico City last year. Last week, 57,000 watched Kyle Busch win. Does the Nationwide race south of the border have staying power?

David Caraviello: Right now, yes. This race isn't about how many people watch it in Mexico City. It's about trying to capture the Hispanic market in the United States. It's part of a wider approach that also involves Spanish-language broadcasts of some races.

Joe Menzer: I would say there is a direct correlation between the fact that there was no Montoya there this year and the drop in the crowd. And as we have said previously, or at least I know I have, I think the fact that Montoya didn't go, that he apparently wanted no part of going, means the event there has run its course.

Dave Rodman: I don't think I understand anything about crowds. They talk about open-wheel fans vs. stock car fans, which are somewhat few and far between going back in the day, in Mexico. From what I understand, the open-wheel race on the same track in 2003 had a Champ Car record crowd of 214,000. Three years later, it was less than half that: 104,000.

Road race woes

David Caraviello is an admitted road race fan and would love to see more on the Cup schedule. But he says adding another one is more difficult than it sounds.

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David Caraviello: Wait -- Joe, so you're saying that because Montoya skipped it, then the thing is finished? Man, that's even worse than your comments earlier about women.

Joe Menzer: No, I'm saying if you have the defending champion, who is of Hispanic descent, and he has no interest in going back to defend his title, that shows there is apathy about the event even at the top.

David Caraviello: There didn't seem to be any apathy on Marcos Ambrose's part.

Dave Rodman: The NASCAR race has gone down four years in a row and is now just above having dropped a full 50 percent in that time. Go figure.

David Caraviello: And NASCAR has seen quite a decline, Dave, from that mammoth crowd in the inaugural event to last week's attendance numbers.

Dave Rodman: Juan isn't doing Nationwide races this season, so the fact he was defending champion in Mexico and is a Latin driver is coincidence. An unfortunate one, probably, for the promoters.

Joe Menzer: DC, you keep telling us that it's not about those crowd numbers, that it's all about getting the Hispanic viewers hooked on TV in the States. Tell us, DC, what kind of ratings did the race pull? Because I honestly don't know.

David Caraviello: Oh, I have no idea. And I don't think it's about raw ratings, per se. It's about raising consciousness in the Hispanic communities, which I think it's doing to some degree.

Dave Rodman: The interesting thing is, NASCAR already has a huge female following, even without women drivers in Sprint Cup -- or anywhere else. But to get a Hispanic following, everyone agrees they need to get a full-time Hispanic (read that, Mexican) driver into one of the series. They're trying, and there are some candidates, like Rogelio Lopez and a kid that qualified 10th last weekend, Antonio Perez. But it's gonna take time.

Joe Menzer: And Roadman, are you telling me that Juan couldn't have run this one Nationwide race? Not to get corny here, but for the better good of the sport, if someone convinced him it was that important?

David Caraviello: Dude, NASCAR teams do what's good for them. This isn't a charity.

Dave Rodman: I think someone is paying Chip to run Kyle Krisiloff. DC's right -- in NASCAR, money talks and good drivers take time off. But I can personally vouch for this: The job OCESA and NASCAR Mexico have done with their touring division is nothing short of phenomenal. They had 47 cars trying for 36 spots in the Corona Series. The 36-car field on Sunday had 35 cars that appeared to be fully decorated with sponsor signage. The race was great.

Joe Menzer: Fact is, it's not that important any longer. They've gone there, done that. Now they need to go somewhere else.

David Caraviello: Menzer is on the rampage today. It's like we're Smacking with Bill O'Reilly! And remember, people, 57,000 isn't that much less than what Darlington or Homestead draw for a Cup race. But if the numbers keep going down this precipitously ... NASCAR's going to have to reexamine it.

Joe Menzer: Is anyone making money by going to Mexico? Not the teams, I can tell you that.

Dave Rodman: Well, if you are racing for the purse, you're in trouble -- but winning Mexico paid nearly $40,000 more than winning Phoenix -- and you had to travel further to Phoenix to get paid less.

Joe Menzer: Phoenix is further than Mexico City? Since when?

Dave Rodman: You know how geographically challenged I am -- I have no idea where it is. What do you think would happen if I Mapquested Charlotte to Mexico City?

Joe Menzer: Are you kidding me? I may get killed on this by the e-mailers, but I am fairly certain Mexico City is farther than Phoenix!

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers