Andres Perez, aged 19, has made ARCA history has as its first champion born outside of the United States. That's quite the feat considering the fact that ARCA has been in operation since 1953. Driving the No. 2 Rev Racing Chevrolet, he clinched the title simply by starting the title-decider at Toledo due to his comfortable points margin.
He also did it without winning a single race! Interlopers William Sawalich and Connor Zilisch collected the majority of race wins without running the full season. However, Perez nearly changed that fact in the season finale. He attempted a daring three-wide pass for the lead late, but ended up spinning through the infield grass.
"It was a great year overall," said Perez, who beat teammate Lavar Scott in the title fight. "Super happy. Super thankful to everyone in the team. It was such a fun year. I enjoyed every race. We had some great results. So close to that win. I just left everything (out there) today. I really wanted that, but it is what it is. The championship is the greater thing and we got it. Super proud. It's a great accomplishment for me."
🥳 Go ahead and celebrate, @andresplg2! 👏 pic.twitter.com/wse6XixlhY
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) October 5, 2024
He ended the 20-race season with ten top-fives, 17 top-tens, two poles, and an average finish of 6.5. The last three ARCA champions went on to become full-time in at least one of NASCAR's three national levels, and Perez made his Truck Series debut earlier this year with Spire Motorsports. He started 16th and finished ninth at Gateway in an impressive showing.
While Perez's title is a first for ARCA, NASCAR has seen a Mexican-born driver win a national-level title with Daniel Suarez earning the Xfinity Series championship in 2016. Suarez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, went on to become the first and so far only Mexican driver to win a race at the Cup level.
The sport is making huge inroads south of the U.S., recently announcing plans for a road course race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City for June 14-15, 2025. It will be the first points-paying Cup race outside of the United States since 1958 and the first to ever be held in Mexico. The NASCAR Xfinity Series will also be competing that same weekend, as well as the NASCAR Mexico Series.
