Future Stars: R. Pardo

Mexico City native learning NASCAR, English in Busch East Series

Ruben Pardo is a quick study -- because he has to be.

The hurdles Pardo had to overcome in his first year of competition in NASCAR's Grand National Division Busch East Series render his accomplishments this year all the more remarkable.

	Ruben Pardo won rookie of the year in the Busch East Series.
	SERIES PAGE •   Busch East Series

Among a series of unprecedented achievements in 2006, Pardo, 27, became the first Hispanic driver to win a rookie of the year title -- or any title, for that matter -- in one of NASCAR's touring series. Without an intense work ethic, however, Pardo probably wouldn't have achieved that level of success.

Pardo, of Mexico City, struggles with the English language, but he rarely relies on an interpreter when answering questions in English.

Practicing the language helps him deal with the media, but more important, it also facilitates the exchange of information with crew members and spotters on his race team -- and communication is crucial to the learning process.

"I started in Greenville, and I learned race by race," said Pardo, referring to his first start in the series at Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway in June. "It was very important in those first races to learn quickly. I ran faster race by race, and I had better communication with my team."

From a 20th-place finish at Greenville, Pardo made significant progress, so much so that when the series came to Lime Rock Park in Connecticut in late September, he was a serious contender. Pardo beat veteran Matt Kobyluck to the finish line to become the first international driver to win a race in the Busch East Series.

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"When I won the race at Lime Rock and won the rookie of the year, I didn't really understand in my head what happened," said Pardo, who drives the Movida/Family Dollar Dodge owned by Armando Fitz and Carlos Contreras. "One day later, I went back to Mexico, and it was wild, because I was the first Hispanic, the first Mexican, the first non-American to win a [title] in NASCAR. Wow! I felt incredible."

Pardo was also the first driver to win a race using NASCAR's "spec" engine, thereby validating the research and development that had gone into the new cost-saving motor.

"For me and the team, it was incredible," Pardo said. "There's a little difference with the spec motor, but they're very similar [to a custom engine]. I can be a little more aggressive in the middle of the turn, because the weight and the torque is a little different, but not too much."

Pardo plans to compete in the Busch East Series next year -- because he needs to.

"I think I'll run another time in the Busch East and try to fight for the championship," he said. "I think it's a good series, and I need to learn more."