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Friday, March 9
Fans flock to native son
Associated Press

MONTERREY, Mexico -- Somebody kiddingly called Adrián Fernández the Elvis Presley of Mexico.


	Mexico's Adrian Fernandez, left, signs autograph for fans during practices at Fundidora Park.

Fernández can't sing and doesn't wiggle his hips. But there is near hysteria every time the slim 35-year-old Mexican driver with the movie star looks shows his face in public.

The inaugural Telmex Tecate Monterrey Grand Prix has sold all 60,000 grandstand seats and another 15,000 infield tickets. Organizers could sell thousands more if there was room for more people at Sunday's race.

"I'm not surprised by the response," said Fernández, a national hero who needs bodyguards everywhere he goes in Monterrey, Mexico's third-largest city. "Mexico loves its racing and this is a great new facility."

He is surrounded by Mexican and South American media every time he steps out of his motorhome or his car.

The 2.1-mile, 12-turn permanent road circuit was built in Fundidora Park, about two miles from the center of downtown Monterrey. Inside the park are the remnants of Mexico's largest steel mill, which was closed more than 40 years ago.

Fernández finished second in the CART championship last year with Patrick Racing and has since started his own two-car team.

A large crowd on hand Friday for the opening of practice roared when Fernández drove his new Reynard-Honda onto the track.

"If he wins on Sunday, I don't know what will happen," said a worried-looking security guard. Then the guard brightened, adding, "But it would be very good for Mexico if Adrian wins. We would be very proud."

Champ cars
CART is a series filled with champions in 2001.

Besides reigning champ Gil de Ferran and former series champs Michael Andretti, Alex Zanardi and Jimmy Vasser, some of the newcomers to the Champ Car series carry championship credentials.

Scott Dixon of New Zealand, who won the Dayton Indy Lights Series last year, has moved into the PacWest seat formerly occupied by Mark Blundell.

Bruno Junqueira of Brazil, the replacement for Juan Montoya at Target Chip Ganassi Racing, is coming off a championship season in Europe's Formula 3000 series.

Tora Takagi of Japan, winner of the Formula Nippon title last year, is running for Derrick Walker Racing.

"It's just a high level of competition now," Walker said. "You almost have to be a champion somewhere just to get here and compete in CART."

Good opener
Andretti, the leading active Champ Car driver with 40 victories, is a fast starter.

The son of racing great Mario Andretti has won three of the past seven CART FedEx Series openers and finished second and third in two others. In his career, he has seven top-five finishes in 16 opening races.

The 37-year-old racer has a little handicap this season, having switched from his longtime home at Newman-Haas Racing to the all-new Team Motorola, operated by Barry Green.

"I believe we're capable of winning the first time out," Andretti said. "Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of competition on the grid, but you can definitely throw our team in the hat as a contender."

Andretti, a fitness buff for several years, said he is in the best shape of his career.

"We were very focused and successful in our testing this winter and now the key is to carry that same intensity into the race weekend," he said.

Engine war
Toyota has caught Honda and Ford in the battle for teams in CART.

All three came into Friday's opening of practice for the Monterrey Grand Prix with nine cars powered by their engines. Phoenix, a somewhat modified offshoot of last year's Mercedes, put out by Ilmor Engineering, is in one of the 28 cars entered.

The two-car teams of Newman-Haas Racing, PacWest Racing Group, Patrick Racing and Derrick Walker Racing have all switched to Toyota this year. Newman-Haas and Patrick both ran Fords last year, while PacWest was a Mercedes team and Walker ran Hondas.

Mercedes withdrew from CART to concentrate on Formula One.

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