BALTIMORE (Map, News) - They could have run the race anywhere this weekend.

The Sprint Cup had the week off, allowing NASCAR’s Nationwide Series to take center stage on Sunday afternoon, a day and time usually reserved for NASCAR’s premier events.

With racing fans focused squarely on the Nationwide series, the race could have easily been held in front of 100,000 fans at a track like Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., or at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR, however, chose to put on a race thousands of miles from its Southern roots, at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, a 2.7-mile road course in Mexico City.

Why such an unusual location? Well, it certainly had little to do with selling tickets, as just 57,324 spectators filed into the stands to watch the Corona Mexico 200 on Sunday, the lowest total in the four years the series has raced south of the border.

But the fact that NASCAR not only races in Mexico City every year during a weekend when no Cup race is scheduled is significant. The race in Mexico reinforces the sport’s focus on expansion into new markets and reminds us that diversity is just as important in the stands as it is behind the wheel.

“As NASCAR works at broadening their horizons, one of their focuses was South America,” Scott Pruett, who finished third Sunday, said. “I think that all the way around, with a sport that I think was very limited… is now becoming stronger and stronger every year.”

The decision to host international Nationwide races — both in Mexico City and Montreal — may have initially seemed like a novelty, but it has done a remarkable job of giving NASCAR world-wide appeal.

Before the inaugural Mexico City race in 2005, it was almost impossible to find a foreign-born driver in the garage, outside of a few road-course experts who would drive one or two races a year. But in the three years since, international stars like Juan Montoya, Dario Franchitti, Patrick Carpentier and Marcos Ambrose have flooded into NASCAR, and not only do they bring diversity to the track, but they bring new fans into the stands.

“The real fans, they follow it throughout the year,” said Mexican racing legend Adrian Fernandez, who has participated in all four Mexico City events. “But a lot of [international fans], you know, definitely need the identity of someone they can follow.”

Drivers like Montoya and Ambrose can provide that identity for fans around the world, and once they begin to find consistent success on the track, the all-important attention by the media will follow.

“It is a process of education,” Fernandez said. “The fans [here] are a lot more knowledgeable about NASCAR in general, and I think there’s a lot more [room to grow]. To have the media in Mexico cover it race-by-race… it can become a lot stronger than maybe [it is] right now.”

NASCAR likely will face a lot of pressure in the coming years to bring the Nationwide series to newer facilities in the United States. NASCAR can still choose which courses run races anywhere they want, but hopefully, it will continue to find room on the schedule for Mexico City. It’s a venue that gives spectators a chance to watch great racing on a unique track, and it gives fans the chance to realize what the rest of the United State’s all ready knows.

NASCAR racing is the some of the best in the world.

Get up to speed on the latest in NASCAR — listen to Wilson’s Race Report every weeknight at 8:20 on 93.1 WPOC.

Comments from Examiner Readers

9:31 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008 re: "Bring some excitement back to qualifying"

Examiner Reader said:
For those teams that are in the top 35, if they incure a rules violation in a pre-qualifying inspection, they should NOT be allow to qualify as they normally do, they should qualify with the teams that are not in the top 35. If they then fail to qualify, then they don't make the race.

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8:59 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008 re: "Bring some excitement back to qualifying"

Examiner Reader said:
"Bring some excitement back to qualifying" ------- Hi, You are very WRONG about the TOP 35 Rule! With the teams having to try and stay in the TOP 35 Rule, they have to RACE harder on Sundays to do so. If not for the TOP 35 Rule, once they were in the race, they could just cruse around on Sunday and it wouldn't matter where they finished, with the TOP 35 Rule, it makes them have to RACE harder and the race is more important to fans than qualifying!!!

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6:06 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008 re: "Bring some excitement back to qualifying"

Paul said:
Hey, I dislike the top 35 rule as much as anyone. I still think the fastest 43 should get in and if Junior, Johnson, anyone named Gordon or Petty is not up to speed and somebody with a one-off deal gets in, then good for them. The so-called experts disagree with me, but let a top shoe miss a race or two and see how quickly they get better.

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5:26 PM MST on Tue., Mar. 11, 2008 re: "Stewart hoping Goodyear can reinvent the tire"

Examiner Reader said:
Hey igorant reader at 2:32 I would like to see you try it sometime bet you will not last 100 laps

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2:32 AM MST on Tue., Mar. 11, 2008 re: "Stewart hoping Goodyear can reinvent the tire"

Examiner Reader said:
driving a car is a sport? these guys get too much press and are impressed with themselves.

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3:12 PM MST on Mon., Mar. 3, 2008 re: "Montoya's NASCAR win is impressive"

Race Fan said:
I don't believe that the best driver on the planet is driving for NASCAR. This is a waste. Please come back to the real racing sport. We will always wait for Juan Pablo Montoya.

19 agree | 17 disagree
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7:38 PM MST on Thu., Nov. 22, 2007 re: "NASCAR puts focus on wins and comes out victorious"

newman rocks said:
newman is a nice guy and never blames any1 else newman NEVER complains like jeff gordon OR tony stewart i think jeff gordon and tony stewart are some of the best drivers at present and that ever drove in nascar i just do not like them at all

102 agree | 97 disagree
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7:55 AM MST on Wed., Sep. 5, 2007 re: "Gibbs gambles big, but Toyota is winner"

Kyle Busch said:
Take that all you non toyota lover- some of your biggest chevy driver are coming here to toyota, non surprising of Penske Racing South join toyota in 2009...or if Honda and Nissan Join Nascar and soon it will be the american Big 3 ( GM, Ford,DaimlerChysler) Vs The Japanes Big 3 (Toyota,Honda,Nissan)

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9:15 AM MST on Thu., Jul. 19, 2007 re: "Stewart adds personality to the drab world of NASCAR"

Examiner Reader said:
Tony is the closest thing we've got to the old school drivers. Praise God for his personality. NASCAR has become a muddled P.C. sport as much as it needs to. He is breath of fresh air to me each race weekend. Even when he takes out his teamate and half the most popular drivers- he blames them. LOL!! It reminds me of watching the sport in the late 70's and early 80's. AWESOME. LOVE TONY STEWART!!!!

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9:42 AM MST on Wed., Jul. 18, 2007 re: "Stewart adds personality to the drab world of NASCAR"

Examiner Reader said:
Stewart is so fun to watch! He is fearless when it comes to saying whats on his mind. He doesn't say the predictable pre programmed garbage the other drivers vomit each week. Stewart is wild! Whenever the camera goes on him I run to the television because he is so unpredictable. No matter what anyone says about him, he brings fun to the NASCAR circuit. Without him I would not watch NASCAR each week. I could go on about his enormous talent but I think his INDY CAR, WINTON CUP, NEXTEL CUP championships, to only mention a few, tells the tale. Stewart is an asset to NASCAR. Without him NASCAR would be a snoozefest. Keep talking Smoke! Tell it like it is!

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9:23 AM MST on Wed., Jul. 18, 2007 re: "Stewart adds personality to the drab world of NASCAR"

Examiner Reader said:
You rock Stewart!

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2:42 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 5, 2007 re: "Dover provides unique experience for drivers, fans"

Examiner Reader said:
loa noyd is my mom and now i feel good that my whole family's famous! im her son jeremiah and i dont really like rusty wallace or kurt busch but newman is my favorite driver!

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10:42 AM MST on Tue., May. 22, 2007 re: "Big teams are beginning to make NASCAR smaller"

Examiner Reader said:
limit teams to two per owner. That would allow more teams to compete on an even basis and have more not less people become involved in the racertainment. Pretty soon this will look like Indy. Every car on the grid is of the same make.

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9:23 PM MST on Fri., May. 4, 2007 re: "Time for Dale Jr. to move on?"

mike steele said:
would love to see the number 3 back on the track thats where the money is jr it would be so good for nascar and the fans

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5:41 PM MST on Thu., May. 3, 2007 re: "Time for Dale Jr. to move on?"

Examiner Reader said:
Jr. needs to leave DEI. Teresa has become money/power hungry and lost sight of the dream Sr. had. Perhaps she'll put on her big girl panties and accept she's history when Dale SR.'s empire crumbles around her. Go Jr. Go!! Let her greed hang her and don't look back. RCR was good to your Dad and will help you achieve the championship Teresa doesn't want you to have. BeBo -NC

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11:59 PM MST on Tue., May. 1, 2007 re: "Time for Dale Jr. to move on?"

shanter said:
i think jr should leave dei, but not drive the number 3 car. there is already so many unrealistic expectation's on his shoulders already. driving the number 3 car would just make it worst. leave dei, get another number BESIDES number 3 and try to do better. his fans arent going anywhere.

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10:41 PM MST on Tue., May. 1, 2007 re: "Time for Dale Jr. to move on?"

benny taylor said:
dale jr., leave the company now and go drive your dad's no. 3 he won 7 championships, and they have the horsepower and he would be like your second dad and i promise get you back in victory lane...

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