IndyCar: O’Ward again encourages series to add race in Mexico

IndyCar used to be very popular in Mexico when Mexican drivers like Adrian Fernandez, Hector Rebaque, Michel Jourdain, and Mario Dominguez raced in the series.

When they were no longer racing in IndyCar, the popularity of the series plummeted in Mexico

Mexican IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward again says an IndyCar race in Mexico would be a hit.

“It used to be, then it wasn’t, and now it [IndyCar’s popularity in Mexico] is starting to pick up a lot actually,” O’Ward told Speedcafe.com of IndyCar’s popularity in the North American nation.

“But it’s obviously still growing, I think that there is a lot of potential there.

“I think a Mexican event would just skyrocket the series in terms of just people watching it and people interested in it, so hopefully we can add it onto the calendar in a couple of years.

“That would be fantastic, but definitely growing.

“I have seen a huge change specifically this year.”

For now, however, O’Ward’s comments fall on deaf ears as the leaders of IndyCar, Roger Penske and Mark Miles, have zero interest in IndyCar expanding internationally, instead preferring to focus on growing IndyCar in the USA.

The series was immensely popular under CART, but then Tony George created the IRL and destroyed the sport.  IndyCar racing was set back 20 years and only is now starting to regain so much of what Tony George cost the sport.