Fernandez is disappointed by O'Ward comparison amid IndyCar anger over Mexico City snub

Updated Sep. 8, 2024 4:13 p.m. ET

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HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — Mexican motorsports great Adrian Fernandez was disappointed to be compared to current IndyCar star Pato O'Ward in the discourse between IndyCar and its drivers over the series being beaten to a race in Mexico City by NASCAR.

“It's never good to compare, especially two different eras,” Fernandez told The Associated Press on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “It's not fair to compare. We have three good drivers internationally right now. There is plenty of space.”

NASCAR last week said it would hold the first Cup Series championship event outside the United States when it runs next June at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the same venue that currently hosts Formula 1 and held the 2007 CART season finale.

IndyCar drivers were incensed that NASCAR beat them into Mexico, where the series at its height built a strong following throughout the country. IndyCar and CART both previously raced in Monterrey and Mexico City.

Most bothered by NASCAR's announcement was Mexican driver O'Ward, who watched as NASCAR spotlighted Daniel Suarez for its announcement. O'Ward is IndyCar's most popular driver and he and Suarez, who are friends, are both from Monterrey.

In the confusing explanation as to how NASCAR got to Mexico City ahead of IndyCar, Mark Miles, the CEO of Penske Entertainment, intimated that the Mexican promoters had voiced skepticism that IndyCar and O'Ward could carry an international event.

While that sentiment was once said, it happened very early in O'Ward's career. And the Mexico City promoters said they never heard another word from IndyCar after that.

Now in his fifth full IndyCar season, O'Ward is probably second only to F1 driver Sergio Perez in popularity in Mexico. However, Miles intimated the promoters suggested O'Ward was no Hernandez, an 11-time winner who competed in all four runnings of NASCAR's Xfinity Series stops in Mexico City.

O'Ward is now selling a line of “Pato Who” shirts and hats on his online merchandise store.

At the NASCAR playoff opener, Fernandez said he felt the Mexican driver market has been slowly rebuilt and he disagreed with O'Ward's assessment that now that NASCAR has landed Mexico City, there isn't room for three international motorsports events.

“The fanbase has regrown and I think there is still a chance for IndyCar,” Fernandez said. “People may not remember because it's been such a big gap, but there's a lot of IndyCar history in Mexico. Everything started with IndyCar. The next step was what happened with Checo, with Formula 1. But everything happened because of IndyCar so IndyCar should really be back.”

Since O'Ward and his fellow competitors were so vocal about the issue last weekend — O'Ward wore a sombrero to his postrace winning news conference in Milwaukee — talks have picked up dramatically between IndyCar and the promoters. Miles expects to make a visit to Mexico City in the coming weeks, and the venue could be on the schedule as early as 2026.

Arrow McLaren Racing won't allow O'Ward to miss the IndyCar race scheduled for Gateway outside St. Louis on the same day the Cup Series runs Mexico City. But there are early talks on O'Ward's availability for the Xfinity Series race held a day earlier in a car fielded by Hendrick Motorsports.

McLaren boss Zak Brown said he'd allow O'Ward to skip Saturday at Gateway if it wouldn't damage any IndyCar championship chances.

As for another one of O'Ward's concerns — the ability for Mexican residents to afford to attend three different motorsports events — Fernandez said the price structuring would be dramatically different for all three series and not so much of an issue.

“Obviously NASCAR wouldn't be the same price as Formula 1, and Formula 1 is the most expensive,” Fernandez said. “I'm sure NASCAR will not be as expensive and IndyCar would not be as expensive as NASCAR. I think there is always room to do something special and involve sponsors and make this doable. There is definitely room for all three series.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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Daniel Suárez