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Thursday, March 22
Fernández Racing officially under way
By Adrián Fernández
Special to ESPN.com
Our first race as a new team is now past, and Fernández Racing has officially begun its career in CART competition. The race in Monterrey, Mexico, was an amazing experience. It was overwhelming. The reception from the fans and the media was beyond my wildest dreams, and I will always remember the experience. It was very special.
|  | | Adrián Fernández's team transporter was surrounded by fans during an autograph session in Mexico. |
The reality of those five days was that we were bloody busy. It was a hectic time. Off the race track, I think we exceeded our goals. We were constantly on the go with appearances and interviews from morning until sometimes late at night. It was an important time for me because I had the opportunity to personally thank a lot of people that supported and helped me in my career.
Balancing the demands of the fans and the press, and appearances away from the race track, definitely affected my performance on the race track. It was hard to separate everything, and I spent very little time with my engineer, John Ward. I have no complaints even though we didn't have a good result.
I was very proud of the team. To make our debut in my home country was no easy task. For me, our season will really start at Long Beach.
We needed these few weeks between Mexico and Long Beach. While Long Beach will be a big event for us, the team will be more prepared and there will be less commitments from my side. Our primary focus will be on the race track, and I believe we will display the performance that this team is capable of with strong finishes.
I was in Long Beach last Friday for a media day to promote the upcoming race, and there is a lot of support for this event. It was good to see that a lot of people are interested in what we are doing. They kept me busy from 7:30 in the morning until 8:30 at night, and it was great.
We also held an autograph session at Universal Studios' CityWalk, and it was nice to be able to spend time with people in a more relaxed setting. I really enjoyed it. These types of events help to put our series closer to where our fans are and that is so important. The Long Beach Grand Prix is one of our prime events, and based on what I have seen, this year will be no exception.
|  | | Adrián Fernández did a radio interview in Long Beach to promote the upcoming event. |
I will be arriving in Long Beach in two weeks. Between now and then, my teammate, Shinji Nakano, will be coming to Phoenix to train with me. Shinji was here before the start of the season, and it was good for both of us. We work at the gym with my trainer, John "J.D." Durso, who I've been with the past two years, and also do some karting, mountain climbing (Camelback), and things like that.
The photos that you see are from an autograph session at our race transporter in Monterrey and from a radio show we did in Long Beach.
The autograph session was incredible. Obviously I was not able to sign for everyone, but I did have the opportunity to speak to the crowd after the Indy Lights race and thank everyone for their support and a very memorable weekend.
2000 CART runner-up Adrián Fernández, who drives the No. 51 Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex Honda/Reynard car, will provide a weekly diary to ESPN.com throughout the 2001 season. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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