WEST ALLIS, Wisc. – Pato O’Ward says he takes issue with the assertion that race promoters in his home country of Mexico believe, either in 2021 or now, that his popularity and that of IndyCar wasn’t – or isn’t – big enough to sustain a race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the site of Formula 1’s Mexican Grand Prix and the future home of NASCAR’s Cup and Xfinity series races in the country starting in 2025.

Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles told a small group of media Friday afternoon at The Milwaukee Mile that had been the message from Corporacion Interamericana de Entretenimiento (CIE) – the promoter of the country’s F1 race – back in 2021 when Penske Entertainment officials continued to push for a return to the country that Champ Car last raced in in 2007.

“They said, ‘If you want us to rent you the place, we’ll rent you the place, but we don’t want to partner because we think it’s too early. You’re not well enough known yet to be in Mexico City’,” Miles relayed of his conversations with CIE three years ago. “What that means is they have a view that we’re not well enough known, nor is (O’Ward) yet, to populate an event at that track.

“I know how many seats they can take out, and they can do lots of things, but they think we don’t have the market penetration yet.”

'I think that's a massive miss': IndyCar drivers question NASCAR landing Mexico City race

Miles also noted that the series continues to be involved in discussions with promoters in Mexico City, and Monterrey (O’Ward’s hometown) as well as other venues, but there’s yet to be a proper fit for either side – either because renovation costs have been too steep for local governments to cover, or potential street circuits in resort towns haven’t fit Penske Entertainment’s view of what a race in the country could and should be.

“I will say it’s pretty clear that Pato isn’t as famous as the last previously famous Mexican driver [Adrian Fernandez],” Miles continued. “(O’Ward) is really gaining ground, and he’s actually on some billboards now. He’ll probably complain that I haven’t dragged him (into conversations) and that he should be the guy to go in and make the deal.

“I do think Pato is a natural star, but if you ask me about ‘21, I’m quite certain (CIE) didn’t think it was time, but there have been a lot of conversations this time around. It hasn’t been a drive-by thing.”

Those comments lit a fire under much of the IndyCar paddock Friday evening and Saturday morning, ranging from O’Ward himself to current and former IndyCar teammates and others, even though Miles had been trying to convey the opinions of those entrenched in the Mexico racing scene.

“Firstly, I’m so glad the CEO of IndyCar is so supportive,” O’Ward told IndyStar and NBC Sports in a follow-up sitdown Saturday morning at The Mile. “Man, comparison is the thief of joy. I’m not going to sit here and argue against two very different personalities and times.

“I believe the purpose of going to Mexico is to help everyone and help everything (in IndyCar) grow. My mentality has always been, ‘How can I be better? How can we all be better and get bigger and make this a better experience for other people? We’re in entertainment, man. As much as we love to race, and we’re here to win, and all our efforts go into that, there’s a lot of efforts that go into making the sport grow bigger, because that’s ultimately what will allow us to keep going.”

According to O’Ward, in 2021, on the heels of his first two IndyCar wins and his contention for a championship that bled into the season-finale, he and his own marketing and managerial team went and laid out a plan they thought would assist Penske Entertainment in their efforts to place a race in Mexico City. From paying out of his own pocket to put together special suite experiences for his fans at Texas Motor Speedway, to launching a merchandise line and creating ‘PatoTV’ – a video platform that quickly gained 45,000 subscribers in a matter of months where fans of his could watch live onboards of his races – he also went all-in off the track in an attempt to grow his own brand in concert.

Those outreaches to Penske Entertainment officials, O’Ward said, have largely been one-sided the last three years.

“We basically gave them a 1-2-3 list of, ‘This is what you have to do and what we need from you in order to make this happen.’ We opened the playbook in order to try and get (an IndyCar race in Mexico City) done, so to be honest, this is all very disappointing,” O’Ward said Saturday. “I don’t know what their conversations have been with (Ricardo Escotto Sr., Penske Entertainment’s proxy on the grounds to attempt to land a race), but I’ve been trying for three years, and I know I’ve done a lot for the series in order to make it bigger and bigger.

“I’m quite disappointed they didn’t come to me after I’ve been trying all these years and been willing to put my own money on the line to make this happen.”

O’Ward said he was disappointed that PatoTV was shutdown by the series because, according to the Arrow McLaren driver, Penske Entertainment either wouldn’t or couldn’t continue giving the platform the rights to his live onboard footage.

The 25-year-old Mexican driver also took issue with the idea that promoters in Mexico City believe he and the series have a ways to go still to build up enough popularity to warrant joining in as a promoter for a race – which both O’Ward and Miles admitted may no longer be possible with F1 and NASCAR on the docket.

“I’m very close to a lot of the guys down there, including the promoter for F1. There hasn’t been one person I’ve run into who’s said, ‘Let’s just wait’,” O’Ward said Saturday. “Everyone has said, ‘When are we going to get it down here?’

“I don’t believe those allegations, to be honest, just because the stadium section (at the Mexico City track) will be more than five-times what we’ll get for the Milwaukee doubleheader. That’s all they should look into. My intentions were never to make an attack in any way. At this point, I just feel like a lot of people are just speaking facts, that (Penske Entertainment) has moved extremely slowly, and I don’t think blaming me for not being more popular – which they have no way to prove either – is right. Saying I’m not famous enough to pack up a whole place just throws your series under the bus. You should want to go to Mexico or go international because you believe in your series and not just in one of your 27 drivers. I’m just trying to do my part and the best I can.”

In response to the vitriol sent his way by many corners of the paddock and the fan base, Miles issued this statement Saturday morning:

“As I said repeatedly yesterday, Pato is a natural star, and his popularity is tremendous and growing. It’s unfortunate that a few of my additional remarks failed to convey anything other than this viewpoint. He is a marquee personality for our series and a terrific partner in our marketing and promotional efforts. We continue to invest in our drivers, and Pato absolutely continues to be a primary individual we direct resources and support to.

“In summary, Mexico remains a market of heavy interest, and we believe there will be an amazing IndyCar race weekend there sooner rather than later. Pato is a superstar, and his popularity and talent will be critical to making this happen.” 

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pato O'Ward questions assertion that he, IndyCar not popular enough for Mexico City race