He joins a very small list of drivers born outside the United States who have gone on to win at the Cup level, and is now the only one to reach Victory Lane in all three national divisions.
In the Xfinity and Truck Series, 24 races have been won by international drivers. But at the Cup level, it’s far rarer with just seven victories between five drivers.
The group of international drivers to win at NASCAR’s top level is by no means large, but it does include some very big names.
Mario Andretti – Italy
Mario Andretti was born in a part of Italy that now belongs to Croatia, and his family emigrated to the United States after World War II. He became a naturalized American citizen in 1964, and later got his only Cup win in NASCAR’s biggest race — the 1967 Daytona 500. Driving for Holman-Moody, he led over half the race en route to a dominant victory.
Race winner Mario Andretti
Photo by: Ford Motor Company
Earl Ross – Prince Edward Island, Canada
Earl Ross was the first and surprisingly only Canadian driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race, doing so in 1974. Driving for Junior Johnson, he beat Buddy Baker to win at Martinsville Speedway. The Canadian took the lead on Lap 422 of 500 and never looked back, winning by over a lap.
Juan Pablo Montoya – Bogotá, Colombia
It was over 40 years until an international driver won again at the Cup level, but it’s no surprise who did it. Juan Pablo Montoya has proven he can drive just about everything, winning seven Formula 1 GPs and two Indy 500s, and that’s just scratching the surface of his remarkable career. He won in his rookie year as a Cup driver, taking the checkered flag at Sonoma Raceway in 2007. Montoya would go on to win one more time at another road course, taking victory at Watkins Glen in 2010.
Victory lane: race winner Juan Pablo Montoya celebrates
Photo by: Todd Corzett
Marcos Ambrose – Tasmania, Australia
The two-time Australian Supercars champion was a force to be reckoned with on NASCAR’s road courses, winning five times in the Xfinity Series. At the Cup level, he came close several times before finally breaking through with a victory at Watkins Glen in 2011. He would go back-to-back and win at The Glen again in 2012, in what stands as one of the most iconic finishes in NASCAR history.
Victory lane: race winner Marcos Ambrose, Petty Motorsport Ford celebrates
Photo by: Adriano Manocchia
Daniel Suarez – Monterrey, Mexico
In 2016, Suarez was one of NASCAR’s most promising young stars….
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