CART heading for Mexico in 2001

'This is a very important announcement for CART, the culmination of many years of wanting to have an event in Mexico,' said CART boss Andrew Craig.

'There's an enormous following for Champ Car racing in Mexico and there is extremely strong sponsor interest.''

The strong form of Mexican drivers Adrian Fernandez and Michel Jourdain Jr has boosted the country's motorsport image in recent years.

'It's a dream come true,' said Fernandez. 'It's amazing the number of fans who have followed my career for the last few years.

'This race will create a huge boom for Mexican racing. It's going to be a huge event, a big party.'

The Indy Lights series will also visit the Monterrey track. Two Mexican teams, Mexpro and Team GO, compete in the championship at present.

The announcement coincides with rumours that the Bettenhausen team's Mexican sponsors are keen to increase their support to allow the team to expand to a two-car outfit for next season.