NASCAR's Busch Series tackles one of the toughest road courses yet, on a venue built for Formula One cars...and it's not in the U.S.

http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/img/promos/2005/mexico/track_map.gif

In the hopes of expanding it's popularity internationally, the NASCAR Busch series will race it's first points event outside the U.S. this weekend in Mexico City, Mexico, and there is even a chance of rain. NASCAR will run the event regardless of the weather and has rain tires specifically developed for this should it occur.

Mexican countryman Adrian Fernandez (of IRL and CART fame) led todays Happy Hour practice session driving the #5 Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo at 104.036mph, followed by American drivers Ron Fellows (103.503mph) and Boris Said (103.470mph).

Adrian Fernandez:
http://www.nascar.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/03/04/mexico_practice/gallery3.jpg

Some more interesting photos of the cars and details of the action can be found off the NASCAR home page: http://www.nascar.com/

http://www.nascar.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/03/04/mexico_practice/gallery9.jpg

http://www.nascar.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/03/04/mexico_practice/gallery10.jpg

http://www.nascar.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/03/04/mexico_practice/gallery11.jpg

For thoses interested in watching 3,400 lb cars tackle a F1 style road-course...possibly in the rain:
Live Qualifying: SPEED Sat. 1:05 p.m.
Live Race Coverage: FOX Sun. 3 p.m.

Good for nascar for taking the plunge. Marketing and money wise it's a positive move.

They have been talking about racing in the rain for some time now. They lose a lot of time due to rain in the current configuration. The transistion to an all weather series will take a while, probably the road courses and some of the bull ring tracks first. Not sure anyone wants to run 205 mph on a big oval in the wet, just yet.

Larry

That is pretty cool that they'll run in the wet, I hadn't realized that was something they were planning.

It really is cool to watch them hustle those 3400# pigs around the road courses.

Pat Olsen
'97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan

They are never going to run the ovals in the rain. Too dangerous. Banking + rain + old cold rubber surface = no possible way to stay on the track.

And its been several years since they started the race in the rain bit for road courses. Just so far they never have had too.

" Bob, how do we make this thing go dereche de?"

i hope the safety walls are strong around this course :lol:

How many guys think that this will be the track where a roadracer takes the win? I personally love the NASCAR road courses.


...and Ron Fellows is Canadian:) We don't want to anger are friends to the north :lol:

Ack! Adrian just put it into the wall in qual. I wanted to see how fast he was going to be. The track looks like a huge challenge in a heavy car. Patience, patience...

Ack! Adrian just put it into the wall in qual. I wanted to see how fast he was going to be. The track looks like a huge challenge in a heavy car. Patience, patience...

Yep, that sucks. They said if the team can get the car repaired he will get in on owners points and start from the back of the field though...hope they can work some magic in the next 24 hours...

...damn I wasn't expecting Harvick to turn a lap that fast!

Robby Gordon should make his qualifying attempt shortly....

They sell Monte Carlos in Mexico?

haha, a local puts all the big names behind.

best quote i heard from a driver in the 10mins i watched, "yeah, i was surprised the car did as well as it did seeing as though it never turned right before!" :lol:

Finally! I watched the end of qualifying and it's nice to see left and right turns in a nother country with NASCAR. :)

-paK +1

Should be a good race. I predict a good show from Jeff Gordon. He always does well at Watkins Glen.

Should be a good race. I predict a good show from Jeff Gordon. He always does well at Watkins Glen.

He hopes it’s a good show too…seeing as how he’ll be watching it at home on TV ;)

On the other hand, Robby Gordon should either win or knock down a wall.

The lineup is here: http://www.nascar.com/races/bg/2005/3/data/lineup.html if you want to see who is racing.

It will be on Fox @ 3pm today

Also jeff gordon is in the nextel series not the Busch

My bet is kevin harvick

Crap, I didn't even see that it was a Busch race and not a Nextel. It's even in the thread title. Oh well, I'm not a n00b ;). No Nextel Cup race today then?

No Nextel Cup race today then?

No break for them to air this new Busch event.

Harvick came in second

It was fun to watch

I was fun to watch

yes, you were entertaining

:lol:

I watched a bit of the race, that track was tight for those cars. They showed one guy cut across the chicane they had setup, I wonder how many guys did that the entire race. It was somewhat funny watching some of them overcook the entry into the front straight and run into the dirt...

The road-racers were sooo easy to pick out in that field. They were the ones who were actually able to pass under braking, lol.

The road-racers were sooo easy to pick out in that field. They were the ones who were actually able to pass under braking, lol.

Not true, I saw Harvick do it a few times and Truex Jr. did it also.

Seriously, I thought Fellows would be a threat and he didn't do much of anything all day. Boris Said was strong early, got penalized a lap and then used his bumper (literally) to push his way back to the front.

The Nascar regulars looked just as strong as the "ringers" in my opinion...even the few that had never run road courses before.

...and Truex, who started in the Busch Northern series ran quite a few road courses coming through the ranks, at Watkins Geln, VIR and a few other. Probably why he won with a 4 second lead over Harvick (another Nascar regular)

What were the results for the event?

What were the results for the event?

http://www.nascar.com/races/bg/2005/3/data/results_official.html