In West Allis, Wisconsin, Pato O’Ward, the 25-year-old Mexican IndyCar driver, has been drawing massive crowds at autograph sessions, causing envy among his rivals. His popularity in Mexico is second only to F1 driver Sergio Perez. Despite O’Ward’s significant following, NASCAR announced plans to race in Mexico City in 2025, beating IndyCar to the market.
O’Ward, who is also a reserve F1 driver for McLaren, requires security to navigate track property due to his adoring fans. With NASCAR securing a multiyear deal in Mexico City, O’Ward is concerned about the possibility of IndyCar racing in front of his Mexican supporters.
IndyCar stars, like six-time champion Scott Dixon and points leader Alex Palou, expressed surprise and disappointment that NASCAR had secured the Mexico City race. O’Ward believes IndyCar’s only chance to race in Mexico now is to find a new venue since the old circuit in Monterrey would require major upgrades.
Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles stated that discussions about returning to Mexico have been ongoing, but before Roger Penske bought IndyCar in 2020, the series was only offered a lease deal for the Mexico City track. Miles emphasized Mexico as a market of interest and expressed confidence in the possibility of holding an IndyCar race weekend there in the future, citing O’Ward’s popularity and talent as crucial.
O’Ward’s popularity soared after his second-place finish in the Indianapolis 500, and he believes IndyCar missed a significant growth opportunity by not pushing to race in Mexico earlier. While O’Ward is eager to be part of the discussions, he lacks the financial capacity to fund a race himself.
Miles indicated that IndyCar is in talks for international exhibitions outside the regular season and mentioned potential demonstrations in Sweden. However, any IndyCar race in Mexico would be a championship event, not an offseason demonstration. O’Ward stressed the importance of focusing on Latin America and expressed his frustration with what he perceives as IndyCar’s slow progress in expanding internationally.
