CHAMPCAR/CART: Music again at Hermanos Rodriguez track

A track with an enormous tradition was reinaugurated today. The Hermanos Rodriguez track is ready to host the final round of the CART FedEx Championship on 17 November, the Telmex Gigante Mexico Grand Prix, and it is already in great form.

With a Panoz LPM-01 driven by David Brabham (Panoz driver since 1997) and Mexican star Jimmy Morales the first car on the track, the newly revamped 4.48 kms circuit looks better than ever. Its 1.08 kms main straight is awaiting speeds of 360 kms/hr in a Champ Car.

David Brabham helps Mexican driver Jimmy Morales buckle into the Panoz for some laps.

Photo by American Le Mans Series.

"I was charmed with this opportunity in a Panoz car, and it's great seeing this amazing track, it looks really great", Morales said. The Mexican will be on the track also on the Sunday of the CART race, in Mustang Cup that will be a CART preliminary race.

Host of Formula One races in its first era in 1960's and in the 1980's and 1990's in its second era, and of prototypes cars with Michael Schumacher at the wheel in early 1990's, the Hermanos Rodriguez track is expecting to welcome more than 200,000 people on Sunday, and a half of million over that wild motorsport weekend.

Pedro and Ricardo's busts were unveiled today by living Rodriguez siblings, Conchita and Alejandro Rodriguez de la Vega, and both were totally excited for this moment. "The greatest of this is that the memory of our brothers has always remained in Mexican motorsport. It's a huge moment", Alejandro said.

An investment of 30 million of dollars was necessary to revive Rodriguez track. Grupo CIE was the brains of this project and now CART and ALMS races are at the beginning of a brilliant new era of Mexican motorsport.

ALMS report