Alex Garcia (driver)

Infobox_NASCAR_driver
Name = Alex Garcia


Birthdate = birth date and age|1977|3|18
Birthplace = Caracas, Venezuela
First_Busch_Race = 2007 Telcel Motorola Mexico 200 (Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez)
Busch_Car_Team = #98 - Transnet Racing| Previous_Year = 2007
Busch_Wins = 0
Busch_Top_Tens = 0
Busch_Poles = 0
Prev_Busch_Pos = 104th
Best_Busch_Pos = 90th - (2008)|

Updated_On = September 17, 2008

Alex Garcia (born March 18, 1977) is a Venezuelan professional stock car driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He currently drives the 98 Dixien/OmniSource Chevrolet [ [http://www.jayski.com/nationwide/2008/2008nationwide-chart.htm Jayski.com 2008 Nationwide Series Driver Chart] ] for Transnet Racing, a team which Garcia owns. Alex Garcia made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the 2007 Telcel Motorola Mexico 200 in Mexico City, [ [http://www.nascar.com/races/bg/2007/3/data/results_official.html 2007 NNS Results: 2007 Telcel Motorola Mexico 200] ] where he became the first Venezuelan to race in one of NASCAR's top three series. [http://www.frontstretch.com/bgnpr/8626/]

Background

Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Garcia immigrated to the United States with his family in 1988 at the age of 11. He and his family settled in Marietta, Georgia, where he still lives today.

At the age of 16, several years after his Argentine uncle sparked his interest in racing, Garcia drove his first race car. After that, Garcia decided to embark on a career in professional racing.

An owner of his equipment from the beginning of his racing career, Garcia formed Transnet Racing, which began with a single mechanic in his parents' garage, and has now grown into an established organization with a 10,000 SF shop in Morrow, GA, just south of Atlanta. [ [http://www.transnetracing.com/transnet.html Official Transnet Racing Website] ]

Open Wheel career

Alex Garcia began his racing career in open wheel racing. In 1994 Alex raced at the amateur level in SCCA Formula Vee racing, scoring five top-five finishes in his first season. The following year Garcia moved up to Formula Ford racing, where multiple victories and eleven top-five finishes progressed his career from regional racing to success at the national level. By 1997 Alex was able to go pro, racing Formula Ford 2000. 1998 was a successful season in Formula Ford 2000, and Garcia earned top-ten and top-five finishing and starting positions throughout the season.

By 2000 Garcia developed a sponsorship deal with Dixien Automotive Stampings and OmniSource, relationships which still exist today, and this allowed Garcia to begin full-time racing in Atlantic Championship.

In 2004, the Atlantic operation expanded to a two car team, and Transnet Racing began to experience tremendous success in the series, earning the first of the team’s podium finishes, with both cars consistently bringing home top-five's and top-ten's. Seeking to diversify his skills, Garcia began to test other forms of auto racing, which led to experimentation with Daytona Prototype, and, ultimately, stock car racing.

Transition to stock cars

In 2005 Garcia received an invitation to compete in the Six Hours of Bogota, finishing second in a field of over 64 cars. That same year Garcia tested his first stock car at Peach State Speedway, and made his official stock car debut at Music City Motorplex in the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division. Participating in five races with Clyde Moody Enterprises, Alex earned several top-tens, as well as a POWERade Move of the Race award. Realizing his ultimate passion for full-bodied cars, Garcia purchased his first stock car, and debuted in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Salem Speedway in September of 2006. [ [http://arcaracing.com/schedule.cfm?contentid=1043 2006 ARCA RE/MAX Series Results: Eddie Gilstrap Motors ARCA Fall Classic by Advance Auto Parts] ]

By December of the same year, Alex announced that Transnet Racing would run a partial NASCAR Nationwide Series season in 2007, focusing on road courses, at which he excelled.

NASCAR career

In March of 2007, Alex Garcia made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, becoming the the first Venezuelan to race in one of NASCAR's top three series. He competed in two other NASCAR Nationwide Series races that season, the inaugural NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, [ [http://www.nascar.com/races/bg/2007/23/data/results_official.html NNS Results: 2007 NAPA Auto Parts 200] ] and the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. [ [http://www.nascar.com/races/bg/2007/24/data/results_official.html NNS Results: 2007 Zippo 200] ]

In 2008 Garcia returned for the last NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. [ [http://www.nascar.com/races/bg/2008/9/data/results_official.html NNS Results: 2008 Corona Mexico 200] ] Later that season, he competed at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, [ [http://www.nascar.com/races/bg/2008/23/data/results_official.html NNS Results: 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200] ] which was a historic race in which teams competed in the rain for the first time in a NASCAR points event. [ [http://www.nascar.com/races/bg/2008/23/index.html 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200 Race Review] ]

In 2009, Alex Garcia plans to run his first full-time season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

External links

* [http://www.transnetracing.com/ Official Transnet Racing Website]

References