Mexican circuit honours Rebaque.

"It was 20 years ago today......." goes the famous song, and this Sunday 20 years ago in September in Elkhart Lake, H?ctor Alonso Rebaque became the first Mexican and the first foreign driver to win in the CART series.

To commemorate the milestone in his career, and in Mexican motorsport, the organisers of the Mexican Grand Prix 2002, invited press and motor sports personalities to a reunion at the renovated Aut?dromo Hermanos Rodr?guez in Mexico City, where the final round of the 2002 CART series will be run in November. The event was a surprise for most people and even for Rebaque, who now joins other Mexican racing heroes when his name was given to one of the sections of the track.

The festivities were chaired by Rebaque and Rub?n Sald?var, director of GRAND, the joint enterprise by CIE and Forsythe Racing which organises the Tecate-Telmex Grand Prix in Monterrey and promotes the Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante in M?xico City. They took place at the 'Stadium' section, where the area known as the 'Grand Prix Cut' - or 'Return' since the track comes back towards the finish line right at that point - stands. This cut was popularised in 1986 when the circuit was redesigned to host the Formula One cars in their second period in Mexico, and will be known as the 'Rebaque GP Cut' from the moment it is used for the first time at the CART race.

Sald?var emphasised Rebaque's history as a driver and reinforced the original idea which was expressed a few days ago with the naming of Jo Ram?rez - another outstanding team manager and co-ordinator - as Grand Marshal for the Gran Premio.

"GRAND wants to pay homage to those who formed the foundations of the legend of Mexican racing and Rebaque is one of them," he said, "Because of that, on the same day 20 years from when H?ctor hoisted the Mexican flag at Elkhart Lake, we are pleased to name this area of the track as the Rebaque GP Cut. It also means that we have entwined the four greatest Mexican drivers at the Aut?dromo, which carries the name of the brothers Ricardo and Pedro Rodr?guez and has the Mois?s Solana Esses at the end of the straight and, now, the Rebaque GP Cut".

Rebaque, who was joined by family and friends, thanked him for this gesture and symbolically directed the placing of the last concrete wall in the area of the Rebaque Cut. The wall had an inscription in it concerning this event and will be substituted by a bronze plaque which will be placed next to the statue of the Rodr?guez Brothers when the Aut?dromo is officially re-inaugurated next November.

Also participating in the ceremony was architect Manuel 'Chacho' Medina, who was Team Rebaque co-ordinator in F1 and CART, as well as the man in charge of redesigning the Aut?dromo in 1986 to make it compliant with the FIA requirements ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix.

'Chacho' talked a bit about the historic importance of the Aut?dromo Hermanos Rodr?guez and shared some stories about Rebaque and his importance in Mexican motor sports, because he was the last Mexican in F1 besides the first Mexican/foreigner to win in CART, among other highlights in his career as a driver.