A pair of familiar faces prevailed as the 2024 National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award winners as Chase Elliott earned the honor in the NASCAR Cup Series and Justin Allgaier won in the Xfinity Series. Rajah Caruth earned his first Most Popular Driver Award in the Craftsman Truck Series.
The 28-year-old Elliott has won the award for a seventh consecutive season, while Allgaier earned the Xfinity honor for the fifth time in the last six years.
Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, is one of only five drivers at the Cup level to win the award five times or more, joining Richard Petty (eight), Bobby Allison (six), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (15) and Chase’s father, Bill Elliott (16). Chase additionally won the Most Popular Driver Award twice in the Xfinity Series (2014-15).
“Thank you to the fans,” Elliott said during the awards banquet. “The fans have meant so much to myself, my career, my family and beyond. When I look at that award, regardless whether I won it tonight or not, I’m grateful for the fans across the country and around the world for what they do for me, but I’ve always looked at it as a little bit of just an opportunity to honor and appreciate the legacy that my family has really set up for me. I think at the end of the day, I’ve always just tried to carry myself and represent that as they would want me to and try to make them proud.
“As I look at my fans and the people that genuinely want to see us do well, I just see a lot of dedication and people that are willing to spend their hard-earned money on T-shirts and hats and to come to the races and support us. I see a lot of that at the race track, and I don’t want anyone to ever think that I take any of that for granted.”
Allgaier, 38, saw his three-year streak snapped in 2022 by Noah Gragson before winning the Xfinity award the last two seasons. A JR Motorsports driver has won the Xfinity honor every year dating back to 2012.
The 22-year-old Caruth took home the Truck honor in the season where he became just the third Black driver to win a NASCAR national series race when he took the checkered flag in March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Formed in 1965, the National Motorsports Press Association consists of qualified media members who report on the sport of auto racing through affiliations with print, radio, television and/or Internet news-gathering organizations. In addition to the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award, the NMPA presents an array of auto-racing honors, including the Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award, the Myers Brothers Award, the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award and the Wood Brothers Award of Excellence.
Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle has been named the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Myers Brothers Award.
Biffle, 54, receives the honor after his extraordinary efforts to aid mountain communities in Western North Carolina after the devastation of Hurricane Helene left its mark especially on remote towns.
This recognition, named after two of NASCAR’s earliest competitors Billy and Bob Myers, is awarded by the National Motorsports Press Association. The Myers Brothers Award celebrates “individuals and/or groups who have provided outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing.”
Named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, Biffle used his personal helicopter to help rescue groups from trapped enclosures and deliver others’ vital supplies like EpiPens, insulin, formula and other necessities.
“It started on a Saturday morning when I got a phone call for somebody in need of assistance,” Biffle said Friday night. “And what I thought was one family turned in to be, a pretty devastating event and just escalated one thing after another. And I thought, you know, I’ve got the resources, and if I don’t go, who’s going to go? So that day, I drove to the airport. Power was out, so we used the tug to get the hanger door open, got my helicopter out, put fuel on and tried to go rescue that family.
“And what turned out to be 4,000 messages after that just turned into 12 days of flying, sun up to sun down. We feel good about what we did. And then over 100 helicopters joined the effort, a lot of guys from this room. So it was a great effort and I’m glad that I was part of it.”
During his consecutive days flying toward and back from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Biffle was quick to credit those around him who made these deliveries possible.
“I mean, the list goes on. I don’t want to leave anyone out,” Biffle told NASCAR.com in an October interview. “Team guys are up there on their days off with trucks, trailers, chainsaws. They said, ‘We just drove up there and found a road that was blocked, and started cutting and moving trees out of the way. We got miles in and found people, and they had food and water and supplies.’ So it’s just real cowboys, coming out of NASCAR and helping, and it’s great to see that. But it makes me proud to be a part of that community.”
Past recipients of the award include seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty in addition to Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Rick Hendrick, former MRN lead announcer Barney Hall and former NASCAR president Mike Helton.
David Wilson, the head of Toyota’s motorsports wing, was named the recipient of the Bill France Award of Excellence.
The honor was presented Friday evening during the annual NASCAR Awards banquet at the Charlotte Convention Center, recognizing Wilson’s outstanding achievements in the sport during his 35 years with the automaker. He announced in August that he planned to retire Dec. 16 as group vice president and president of TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development).
The Bill France Award of Excellence is not presented annually. Retiring Goodyear CEO Rich Kramer received the recognition last year, marking the first time it was presented since 2020 when seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was honored.
Wilson teared up and expressed his surprise at hearing his name announced by NASCAR CEO and chairman Jim France.
“I was well and truly stunned, rocked my world tonight to be called up on stage by my dear friend Jim France and to be recognized,” Wilson said. “As I said, and what I believe and what’s in my heart, is again on my very best day, I am simply a reflection of a wonderful team that’s supported me, that’s trusted me, that’s empowered me to serve and so, yeah, I’m still soaking it in.”
Wilson held many roles with Toyota’s racing division, including the last 11 years as its leader. He worked in a time of significant growth for the manufacturer, which made its NASCAR national-series debut in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004 and joined the premier Cup Series three years later.
Wilson’s influence was felt in many other forms of motorsports — CART, CORR, Grand-Am, IMSA, Indy Racing League, MTEG, NHRA, SCORE and USAC. When asked in August about his lasting legacy in the sport, Wilson pointed to the company’s increased connection to racing.
“It’s pretty simple,” Wilson said. “I’d like to again believe that TRD is better than when it was when I got here, and I’d like to believe that our sport, and Toyota’s position in our sport, has left NASCAR in a better place. Coming back to when we entered 20 years ago, we didn’t have a relationship with the sanctioning body, and we didn’t have certainly a relationship with our competitors the way we do now, and so much has changed. I’m proud of the way the competitive model that Toyota brought to our sport, we’ve changed the way the sport goes racing, and I love that. I love that, but there’s a lot that I’m really happy about and proud of.”
Succeeding Wilson in the role is Tyler Gibbs, TRD’s current general manager.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR Foundation announced Judy Simmons as the winner of the 14th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award during Friday’s NASCAR Awards Banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina.
As the award winner, Simmons will receive a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to God’s Pit Crew, a non-profit dedicated to providing disaster relief services to children and families.
“This award means so much to God’s Pit Crew and me, and it will make a tremendous impact for the children we strive to provide healing to in the midst of disaster,” said Simmons. “With this award, we will be able to provide more hope and comfort to the young lives that need it most.”
Judy Simmons of Axton, Virginia, is a volunteer at God’s Pit Crew, a local non-profit disaster relief organization that works to provide aid and hope to communities all over the country in the face of a major weather event. Judy has been a member of the God’s Pit Crew disaster response team of more than 1,500 volunteers for six years, leading volunteer teams to provide essential needs to families and children in their time of crisis, including Play Pails that contain toys, games and hygiene items for children who have lost everything.
“Judy is an incredible person doing impactful work for families that have experienced hardship due to natural disasters, especially during the difficult times faced in Western North Carolina this year,” said Nichole Krieger, The NASCAR Foundation Vice President and Executive Director. “The $100,000 she won for God’s Pit Crew will allow them to continue providing essential items for kids and families in need in times of major weather event or crisis. Both Judy and her organization are very deserving of this award.”
Simmons earned the most online votes from a pool of nominees, including Tammy Raulerson with the Periwinkle Foundation in College Station, Texas; Carlos Washington with Boys and Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area in Florence, South Carolina; and Julie Woolridge with Hope of Mooresville in Mooresville, North Carolina. Each of these charities will receive a $25,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation.
In its 14 years, the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award has recognized 56 NASCAR fans who are dedicated volunteers working for children’s causes in communities nationwide. More than 553,288 children’s lives have been affected by the program with 2.56 million contributed to children’s charities.
To learn more about The NASCAR Foundation’s programs, including the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award and Speediatrics Children’s Fund, please visit www.NASCARfoundation.org.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Denny Hamlin said Friday he was “shocked” by the news that he will have a new crew chief for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Joe Gibbs Racing announced Friday morning ahead of the NASCAR Awards banquet that Chris Gabehart will become the team’s competition director, vacating the head of the No. 11 team he had led with driver Hamlin since 2019. Chris Gayle will crew chief the No. 11 Toyota moving forward, moving from the No. 54 JGR program where he previously worked with Ty Gibbs.
Together, Gabehart and Hamlin won 22 races, propelling Hamlin to a resurgence of success, including 13 victories across the 2019 and 2020 campaigns. The duo and their No. 11 team won three of the first 11 races in 2024 but ended the year without another visit back to Victory Lane. Joe Gibbs Racing went winless after Christopher Bell’s victory in late June at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“I certainly was shocked,” Hamlin said in a media availability. “That’s all I’ll say.”
Hamlin was notified of the change early in the week after the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, the news delivered to him in a 6 p.m. ET meeting at JGR headquarters. He admitted he was surprised to learn that way, but understood the team opted to make a move to improve its overall performance.
“The first few days was a shock, but I’m moving on,” Hamlin said. “There’s nothing I can do to change anything that happened, and JGR is doing what they feel is best for them and I totally understand that. And if all of our program gets better, the 11 car’s gonna run better as well, right? And I think that all of us, all the teams, knew that we needed to have better results than what we had at the end of the year. They feel like this is the change they need to [make] to get that and that the 11 team will benefit from those changes.”
Gayle joins Hamlin’s program after two years atop the box for Ty Gibbs in the Cup Series, but his resume extends much farther back than that. Gayle has served as a JGR crew chief since 2013, collecting 37 Xfinity Series wins with drivers like Gibbs (11), Kyle Busch (20) and Erik Jones. In 2017, Gayle followed Jones to the Cup Series, where they won two races in four seasons. He then went back to Xfinity to lead the No. 54 team in 2021 with Busch, Ty Dillon, Gibbs, Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and John Hunter Nemechek before Gibbs became the full-time driver in 2022.
In total, Hamlin and Gayle have worked together in eight Xfinity Series races, winning the spring 2016 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway before a runner-up effort at Darlington Raceway later that year.
“He’s been with the company for 20 years, and certainly, he knows all the tools that the teams use,” Hamlin said. “He’s really just had rookie drivers for the most part in the course of his Cup career, so I think it’s going to be a welcomed change for him, and welcomed change for me to go out there and try to build a new relationship and obviously win a lot of races. So I think it probably was the easiest choice, considering he was part of the program already.”
Days after his 44th birthday, Hamlin knows he isn’t getting any younger. But forging a new relationship with a crew chief at this stage of his career – ahead of Hamlin’s 20th full year of NASCAR Cup Series racing – isn’t something that worries him.
“Someone of my age, I think the easy answer would say, well, you’re just you’re an old dog. You’re not going to learn new tricks. You’re not going to want to listen to anyone to tell you to do it differently,” Hamlin said. “But I’ve made it very clear to Chris Gayle that I do not want you treating me with kid gloves. You need to tell me when I need to improve in something, or there’s an area that I’m weak in as a driver. I need that feedback, and I think that as long as he’s comfortable with that, we’re going to have a successful relationship. because I am very self-aware and I need someone to hold me accountable to be the best out there.”
On the opposite end is Gibbs, who just concluded his second full-time campaign at the Cup level. A crew chief for the No. 54 team has not been announced, but Gibbs admitted he will miss working with Gayle, with whom he won the Xfinity Series championship in 2022.
“Chris has meant the world to me,” Gibbs said. “He’s been with me through most of the ups and downs of my life. I’ve won a championship with him and (11) or so races with him, so I’ve really appreciated the time I’ve gotten to work with him. I think him and Denny will be a great fit, and I’m excited to see what happens going forward and improving the whole team as a whole organization.”
Gabehart, meanwhile, transitions into a role where he will have leadership and influence over all four of JGR’s entries, which in 2025 will include Hamlin, Gibbs, Christopher Bell and newcomer Chase Briscoe.
“I think he’s got a very good leadership style to him,” Hamlin said. “I think that probably if you’re soft, it’s going to rub you the wrong way. I think if you’re strong-minded and you are willing to take constructive criticism, I think he’s a great leader as far as that’s concerned. So, generally speaking, I think he probably felt like there were changes that needed to happen within the team that he couldn’t do from sitting in his crew-chief seat.”
“I think it will really benefit us,” Gibbs said. “I think he has so many talents and so much wisdom; it’s just a good spot for him to be in. I’m excited to see what happens and I’m excited to see we’re making changes and making improvements on all of JGR. So hopefully 2025 will be a great year for all of us.”
Drivers, icons and members of the NASCAR community will come together for the 2024 NASCAR Awards Red Carpet Show, hosted by Jessie Punch and Alex Weaver and streaming live on NASCAR.com, NASCAR’s YouTube channel and NASCAR social media on Friday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. ET.
The Red Carpet Awards Show will last until 6 p.m. ET at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, kicking off the evening’s festivities.
The 2024 NASCAR Awards will mark the first time the ceremonies have been hosted in Charlotte. The NASCAR Awards are a tradition that dates back to 1981 when the event was held in New York City. It has since relocated to Las Vegas from 2009 to 2018 and Nashville from 2019 to 2023.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Joe Gibbs Racing announced a pair of changes in advance of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Chris Gabehart, who has served as the crew chief of the No. 11 team for the past six seasons, will become the organization’s competition director while Chris Gayle, who has been the crew chief for the No. 54 team for the past two seasons, will assume the crew chief role for Denny Hamlin.
Both Gabehart and Gayle have been mainstays at Joe Gibbs Racing for a number of years. This season, both led their teams to the Cup Series Playoffs and top-15 finishes in the overall point standings.
“We have a lot of pride in the depth of talent we have throughout our organization,” said Joe Gibbs, owner and founder of Joe Gibbs Racing. “Chris Gabehart will now be an asset across all four of our teams as competition director and we thought it was important to have him transition into his new role immediately. Chris Gayle will bring his own perspective to the 11 team while also maintaining the consistency and continuity they have developed with Denny (Hamlin) over the past several years. While we are still in the process of finalizing the new crew chief for the 54 team, we believe all these moves ultimately make our team stronger as we prepare for 2025.”
Gabehart joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2012 as a race engineer. He transitioned to a crew chief position with the team’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program from 2016-2018. After three successful seasons where his teams earned nine victories with multiple drivers, Gabehart was promoted to be crew chief of the No. 11 team in 2019. The Hamlin-Gabehart combination proved to be a threat immediately by winning the 2019 Daytona 500 on the way to three consecutive Championship 4 appearances. In six seasons together, Gabehart and Hamlin claimed 22 victories, including a pair of Daytona 500s and the 2021 Southern 500.
“I am very thankful for the opportunities that Joe Gibbs Racing has continued to provide me for my entire tenure here and cannot say enough about how much I have enjoyed and appreciated my time with Denny and the entire 11 team,” said Gabehart. “They have all taught me so much about not only how to race at the top of the NASCAR Cup Series, but also, how to lead a great group of talented professionals. In my next opportunity, I am as excited as I have ever been to work with all our talented drivers, crew chiefs, teams and partners to help focus all our efforts towards making 2025 one of the best seasons Joe Gibbs Racing has ever had.”
Gayle’s resume includes a pair of Cup Series victories, 37 Xfinity Series wins, and the 2022 Xfinity Series championship. He began his time with Joe Gibbs Racing as an engineer in 2003. In 2013, Gayle moved into a crew chief position with JGR’s Xfinity Series team. After a four-year stint from 2013-2016 where his teams claimed 20 victories, Gayle spent 2017 as a crew chief for Furniture Row Racing.
He rejoined JGR in 2018 in the Cup Series with Erik Jones. He led the young driver to his first career win in 2018 and followed that up with a Southern 500 victory in 2019. In 2021, the Little Rock, Arkansas, native guided JGR’s No. 54 Xfinity Series team to 10 wins with four different drivers. The next year, Gayle led Ty Gibbs to seven victories and the series championship before the duo moved to the Cup Series together in 2023. In 2024, Gayle oversaw the No. 54 team’s growth in Gibbs’ second season as they earned eight top-five finishes, 12 top-10s, two pole awards, and 417 laps led.
“Denny is obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” said Gayle. “I’m looking forward to working with him and the guys on the No. 11 team. He and Gabehart have established an incredible culture that is a very good barometer for our other drivers and teams to strive to match. I have all the confidence in the world we can hit the ground running and continue the success that this group is accustomed to in 2025.”
The No. 54 crew chief will be announced at a later date.
HARRISBURG, N.C. — Hyak Motorsports welcomes in a new era of racing for the iconic No. 47 team with a rebrand, new name and ownership. Effective immediately, the team will shift from JTG Racing to Hyak Motorsports with Gordon Smith, who became the principal owner at the end of the 2023 season, at the helm. Hyak Motorsports will continue to carry out Smith’s plan to bring a fresh, new energy to the team and show his commitment to advancing the team’s legacy both on and off the racetrack.
The change starts with the name “HYAK,” which means “fast” in Chinook Jargon, which is a trade language of the Pacific Northwest that incorporates terms from Chinook, Chehalis, and many other local languages. The ownership transition promises to fuel Hyak Motorsports with a competitive edge by enhancing its approach to performance, innovation, and fan engagement. Smith is joined by co-owners Brad Daugherty, Mark Hughes and Ernie Cope, who remain dedicated to maintaining the team’s high standards while introducing updated strategies and resources to help bring the team to a new level.
“Becoming the owner of Hyak Motorsports brings an exciting opportunity,” said Gordon Smith, team owner/CEO. “I look forward to building on the team’s accomplishments, investing in its future, and driving toward new successes in partnership with our fans, sponsors, and team members.”
The team’s commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering thrilling performances will continue in the 2025 season, starting with the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray on February 2, 2025, at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
“I’m really excited about 2025 as our company continues to evolve,” said Brad Daugherty, one of the four owners of the team. “Our goal is to compete and win races at the highest level of NASCAR. The name change signifies that commitment and desire to be our very best.”
“2025 will begin a new era for this company,” said Ernie Cope, team co-owner. “We’re still committed to being a winning team with Ricky and the entire No. 47 crew. This is just the next step in elevating the team to another level.”
2025 will mark the team’s third season in NASCAR under the current management. The team has scored a win in each of the last two years and plans to continue this trajectory. Its pinnacle Daytona 500 win came on February 19, 2023, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr, who will continue to pilot the No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro next season.
“Rebranding a team can be exciting, said Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver for the No. 47 Chevrolet. “I’m looking forward to continuing building this team up with a lot of the same great crew members we have had here. I’m focused on the competition side and getting our performance back that we had in 2023. We learned a lot in 2024 and we’re ready to get back to the track.”
More updates will follow in the NASCAR offseason as the team works to build upon its foundation and look ahead to the 2025 season.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. & AUSTIN, Texas — National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) and FloSports, today announced a multi-year extension of its media partnership that will focus on elevating the nation’s premier grassroots racing events and allow them to invest in the sport of short track racing.
The agreement makes FloRacing, FloSports’ dedicated motorsports platform, the essential home of NASCAR Regional Series properties, including: the ARCA Menards Series East & West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™, and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™. The deal also ensures the Snowball Derby, zMAX CARS Tour, and more prestigious short track racing events will be showcased on FloRacing and supported by a full breadth of content, social, and marketing efforts.
Since NASCAR and FloSports joined forces in 2021, interest in short track racing has grown and flourished, paving the way for the renewal. FloRacing covers and distributes a comprehensive collection of more than 1,000 race events annually for motorsport fans of all kinds across dirt, pavement and drag.
“Our partnership with FloSports has helped NASCAR to continue our unparalleled investment into grassroots racing – the foundation of our sport,” said NASCAR EVP, Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer Ben Kennedy. “We look forward to delivering fans the best in short track racing, but also to re-investing in the grassroots community to keep stock car racing thriving.”
“NASCAR is the number one name in motorsports and an unbelievable partner that cares about short track racing,” said Mark Floreani, Co-Founder and CEO of FloSports. “This agreement will allow us to work alongside NASCAR to provide our customers with more marquee events and series throughout the year, ensuring that a FloRacing subscription is the best value in all of motorsports.”
Short track racing will be on full display this weekend as Florence Motor Speedway hosts more than 50 cars, including the No. 8 car of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the South Carolina 400. To watch and gain access to more than 1,000 races annually, please visit https://floracing.com.
A driver can dream about setting records so untouchable that future generations of racers spend their careers chasing them. Whether it’s Richard Petty’s 200 Cup wins or Kyle Busch’s 19-year win streak, the goal is to push the bar into the stratosphere so no one can rocket past it.
For Rubén García Jr., the quest to raise that bar seems endless. With five NASCAR México Series titles, García isn’t just resting on past success — he’s still writing his story and it feels like he’s nowhere near finished.
“It watered my eyes,” García shared with NASCAR.com, reflecting on his milestone achievement. “It’s something I dreamed as a kid one day, I wanted to be a NASCAR champion. And celebrating my fifth title right now, it really gets my emotions.”
But the climb back to the top wasn’t easy. García’s fourth title came in 2022, before the introduction of the new playoff format. Under the old system, a champion was decided by season-long point totals. In 2023, NASCAR México Series adopted a playoff format that followed the Cup Series. Points were reset and drivers were eliminated after each event, narrowing the field to four. The new format ratcheted up pressure, fueling daring moves and thrilling moments when a championship was on the line in one race.
In last year’s finale, García was the highest-running playoff driver for most of the race; he flawlessly executed late-race restarts to put one hand on a fifth trophy. But as the laps wound down and cautions piled, the intensity and tempers rose. On a Lap 124 restart, García lined up fourth — just one spot ahead of his fellow title contender, Salvador de Alba Jr. As the race went back green, de Alba made contact with No. 7 of Xavi Razo, which sent García into the outside wall, bringing out a red flag and ending his hope for a fifth title in an instant.
Fast-forward to Nov. 2 of this year. García was back in the title bout for a ninth consecutive season. Determined to make up for what happened last year, he started the championship race on pole. However, it was long into the race that García went from seeing his fifth title within arm’s reach from the top spot to his windshield being filled with rear bumpers.
“My crew chief made a couple of adjustments before the race, and they really didn’t work out,” Garcia said. “I feel like it was Lap 10 and I was like eighth, and I started on the pole and fell all the way back to 12th.”
Trying not to get discouraged that another chance of championship glory was slipping from his fingers for a second consecutive season, García kept a level head with help from both of his spotters — one being his regular spotter, the other his sister — and his sports psychologist encouraging him over the radio not to let his frustrations boil over.
“They kept me calm,” García said. “They told me, ‘Wait we still have to do pit stops. We can reverse those last adjustments and get you running again. It’s a long race, don’t worry.’ But the first 15 laps, I was like, ‘Damn, we’re not even a quarter of the race in, and I already lost. There’s not much I can do running 12th.’ I see my championship possibilities getting smaller and smaller and smaller.”
Courtesy of NASCAR México
García struggled with grip and could feel the balance of his No. 88 Chevrolet was off throughout the first stage. After a shock adjustment and a different tire pressure, García’s crew chief was convinced that the No. 88 car would drive through the field and be right back in the title fight.
“Most of the time, my crew chief is really accurate about the changes he does during pit stops, and [this time] he sounded very confident on the radio,” García said. “That helped me, I had a really good restart. I made up like five spots in a couple of laps, made a couple of three-wide moves, [that were] a little too aggressive, but at that moment I said, ‘I think my car’s back. I don’t know if it’s good to contend for the win, but at least I’m in the mix now again.’ So that gave me a lot of confidence.”
García’s title fight was with the aforementioned Razo, Rookie of the Year Alex de Alba and two-time champ Abramam Calderón, who were all running in the top 10. Calderón had the fastest car out of the four and was sailing away from the pack every chance he got. De Alba soon had to retire after mechanical issues, so it left Razo and García in a fierce battle for second place in the standings.
“[Razo] was in front of me for a few laps, then I passed him,” García said. “Then he found speed again late in the race and we fought for a few laps. In my mind, was like, if I’m not catching Abraham, I need to stay in second place, because if there’s a caution, I’m going to be the first one that will be able to attack Abraham.”
As laps trickled down, García’s hope of a late caution wasn’t coming to fruition.
“The track’s getting very slick. We’ve been running a lot. We all have worn-out tires with a very, very hot race track. So a mistake is very easy right now,” García recounted. “I kept in mind, I just need to stay in front of Xavi and something can happen. Cautions are very popular at this race track and I was expecting one.
“I was praying for a caution because my crew chief kept telling me, ‘You’re running the same speed as Calderón, but he’s too far away. You’re not catching him, but he’s also not pulling away.’ ”
García kept hoping and defending against Razo and yet no caution had flown. García was on the verge of accepting that maybe a fifth title just wasn’t meant to be, until his sister came on the radio with three laps to go.
“He [Calderón] hit the wall, he hit the wall. Keep going, keep going, keep going,” she exclaimed.
“I saw Abraham with a flat front tire and I couldn’t believe it,” García said. “Now I don’t want a caution.”
Courtesy of NASCAR México
A year can completely change the course of a driver’s career. What was a heartbreaking near-miss in 2023 turned into a triumphant redemption story for García in ’24.
“That redemption feeling was great,” García said. “But what got to me the most was how it happened, because it was a full roller coaster of emotions. It’s a complete opposite feeling as last year, and five championships is a big accomplishment for me.”
García’s fifth championship puts him in an elite class of his own in NASCAR México Series history. Two titles ahead of his idol, Germán Quiroga, who won three consecutive championships from 2009 to 2011 — a feat García watched from the sidelines, thinking, “How much more is he going to get?”
Now, García is carving his own place in the record books, determined to write his lasting legacy.
But even with five championships to his name, García’s competitive fire shows no signs of cooling off. As he prepares for another season to defend his title and aim for a sixth, his mindset remains clear: keep raising the bar and make it difficult for the next generation to catch up.
“Five is far away from the other, from the rest of the field,” García said. “I just want to win as many as I can to make it as hard as possible for [younger drivers] to break the record.”
