It seems that every year we have team members that don’t get the all clear to go until the last minute, or their flights are delayed or canceled causing another level of stress to start brewing. The travel itself can be a bear, although each year it seems to get a little smoother and a little easier, or maybe we’ve just gotten the hang of it.

Once the teams finally get there, it’s an amazing experience for everyone involved.

The course itself is very challenging for most of our men, as road courses are not the type that a lot of them have their years of experience in. The track, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, sits just outside Mexico City, encompassing 2.518 miles from the starting line all the way around to the finish. Built on a geologically active region of Mexico, the track itself is quite bumpy. With an elevation of 7,500 ft above sea level, breathing can be difficult for the drivers and can even upset the cars.

While the official opening date is recorded as 1962, races had already been run on the track. Built in a park in 1958, the first race run there was "Los 500 Km de la Ciudad de México", won by the Rodriguez brothers, helping those involved in deciding what to officially name the track. The name was chosen, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which when translated to English means 'Rodriguez Brothers Raceway'. Hosting its first Formula One Mexican Grand Prix in 1962, a non championship event, Ricardo Rodriquez lost his life during a practice run, at just 20 years old. (Ricardo's brother Pedro would also lose his life behind the wheel years later).

The circuit remained part of the F1 calendar through 1970, hosting the Mexican Grand Prix, when spectator overcrowding caused unsafe conditions. The track was used after the 1970 F1 Grand Prix as a host for national championships. When the track got its F1 championship round in 1986, the circuit boasted a new pit complex, as well as improved safety all around. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (as of 2006) has been the only venue for the Mexican Grand Prix. F1 continued at the track until the 1991 race, after which the event was discontinued. The track was rebuilt and CART (Champcar) started running there in 2002. And in 2005, NASCAR brought the Nationwide Series to the track.

While visiting the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track with our NASCAR boys, it may seem out of place, too far to go, too much of a hassle…all the usual whines and fusses being heard around the circuit. But even with a language barrier, the drivers and teams speak the same language as the other men that have driven that course. They share the same expectations, the same fears, and the same anger when they run off the course and shoot through the grass. And they can feel the history that the track holds under their wheels as they fly over the bumpy track.

The tragedies of some are forever remembered, just as the trophies and wins of others will always provide a proud moment for both the local folks and those that visit. Racing is racing…it crosses borders and provides a place where all that love the sport can feel like they’ve been there before.

As our fellows make their way back to their shops and usual Monday places, I hope they’ll look back and nod with agreement that while the track they just visited was unlike any of the others they visit, a little harder to get to and a little harder to understand, it was still a great weekend. It offered a road course that proved successful for some and a disappointment for others…just like all our other tracks do.

NOTE: I'm a one man show, not supported by anyone. If you wish to donate to help offset expense, it would be appreciated:

toolbar powered by Conduit