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Victor Gonzalez Jr.

Victor Gonzalez Jr.
Gonzalez at Road America in 2012
Born (1975-07-18) July 18, 1975 (age 49)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
NASCAR Cup Series career
2 races run over 1 year
2013 position48th
Best finish48th (2013)
First race2013 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Sonoma)
Last race2013 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen (Watkins Glen)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
7 races run over 3 years
2018 position76th
Best finish60th (2012)
First race2009 NAPA Auto Parts 200 (Montreal)
Last race2018 Zippo 200 at The Glen (Watkins Glen)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2017 position56th
Best finish56th (2017)
First race2017 Chevrolet Silverado 250 (Mosport)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of November 17, 2018.

Victor Gonzalez Jr. (born July 18, 1975) is a Puerto Rican professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro for Niece Motorsports. Twice a competitor in the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race, he became the first Puerto Rican driver to compete in a top level NASCAR series when he broke the barrier in 2009.

Racing career

Gonzalez's 2010 Nationwide Series car
Gonzalez's 2012 Nationwide Series car

Gonzalez began his racing career in 1990 in showroom stock cars in his native country, Puerto Rico. He spent several years competing in touring cars, including two races in the North American Touring Car Championship, before switching to open wheel competition in 1997, competing in the Barber Dodge Pro Series for two years. Then, after two years in the Dominican Republic GTS Cup, moving to the Toyota Atlantic Championship in 2002, he competed in the series' companion event to the Grand Prix of Long Beach, finishing 21st. In 2003, he returned to the Barber Dodge series, where he finished 20th in points,[1][2] posting a best finish of 2nd following winning the pole at The Milwaukee Mile.[3] He established a reputation as an excellent driver on road courses, and became the only Puerto Rican driver to become an instructor at the Skip Barber Racing School.[1]

In 2005 and 2006, Gonzalez competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race, co-driving a Porsche 911 for Team Sahlen.[4] He finished 9th in both events.[5]

Gonzalez made his debut in NASCAR competition in 2009, as a road course ringer at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in the Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200, driving the No. 05 Ford for Day Enterprises.[1] He became the first Puerto Rican driver to compete in a NASCAR national touring series event,[6] finishing 14th in his inaugural event.[7]

Gonzalez returned to the No. 05 for four races in 2010, making his oval track debut at Phoenix International Raceway;[8] his best finish of the year came at Montreal where he finished 16th.[9]

In 2012, Gonzalez returned to the Nationwide Series, driving the No. 99 Toyota for RAB Racing at Road America in June,[10] where he finished 17th, and at Watkins Glen International in August,[11] where he finished 16th.[12]

Gonzalez Jr. during the 2013 Toyota/Save Mart 350

In April 2013, it was announced that Gonzalez would make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut, driving the No. 36 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing in races at Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International that summer.[13] He was the first Puerto Rican driver to start a Sprint Cup race.[14]

Gonzalez and Niece Motorsports made an agreement in June 2017 to have Gonzalez drive Niece's No. 45 truck at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park that summer.[15]

Motorsports career results

Barber Dodge Pro Series

Barber Dodge Pro Series results
Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points
1997 STP
4 		SEB
29 		SAV
6 		LRP
18 		MDO
15 		WGI
13 		MIN
24 		MDO
6 		ROA
28 		LS
12 		REN
6 		LS
15 		12th 51
1998 SEB
2 		LRP
26 		DET
26 		WGI
27 		CLE
26 		GRA
21 		MDO ROA LS1 ATL HMS LS2 24th 17
1999 SEB
15 		NAZ
14 		LRP
DNS 		POR CLE ROA DET MDO GRA LS HMS WGI 31st 3

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Sprint Cup Series

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 NSCC Pts Ref
2013 Tommy Baldwin Racing 36 Chevy DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL MAR TEX KAN RCH TAL DAR CLT DOV POC MCH SON
37 		KEN DAY NHA IND POC GLN
41 		MCH BRI ATL RCH CHI NHA DOV KAN CLT TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 48th 10 [16]

Xfinity Series

NASCAR Xfinity Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 NXSC Pts Ref
2009 Day Enterprises 05 Ford DAY CAL LVS BRI TEX NSH PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI GTW IRP IOW GLN MCH BRI CGV
14 		ATL RCH DOV KAN CAL CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM 123rd 121 [17]
2010 Chevy DAY CAL LVS BRI NSH PHO
29 		TEX TAL RCH DAR DOV CLT NSH KEN ROA
23 		NHA DAY CHI GTW IRP IOW GLN
37 		MCH BRI CGV
16 		ATL RCH DOV KAN CAL CLT GTY TEX PHO HOM 83rd 337 [18]
2012 RAB Racing 99 Toyota DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX RCH TAL DAR IOW CLT DOV MCH ROA
17 		KEN DAY NHA CHI IND IOW GLN
16 		CGV BRI ATL RCH CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 60th 55 [19]
2018 Niece Motorsports 17 Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC MCH IOW CHI DAY KEN NHA IOW GLN
31 		MOH BRI ROA DAR IND LVS RCH CLT DOV KAN TEX PHO HOM 76th 6 [20]

Camping World Truck Series

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NCWTC Pts Ref
2017 Niece Motorsports 45 Chevy DAY ATL MAR KAN CLT DOV TEX GTW IOW KEN ELD POC MCH BRI MSP
16 		CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 56th 24 [21]

* Season still in progress
1 not eligible for series points

North American Touring Car Championship

(key)

North American Touring Car Championship results
Year Team No. Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 NATCC Pts
1996 Fastech Group 27 Ford Mondeo LRP LRP DET DET PIR
7 		PIR
7 		TOR TOR TRV TRV MOH MOH VAN VAN LS LS 14th 20

References

  1. ^ a b c "Gonzalez to make debut in Nationwide at Montreal". NASCAR.com. Turner Sports. August 26, 2009. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  2. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr Biography". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  3. ^ Shaw, Jeremy, ed. (2004). Autocourse Champ Car Official Yearbook 2003–2004. London: Hazleton Publishing. p. 173. ISBN 1-903135-33-8.
  4. ^ "Team Sahlen expands to ROLEX Team". Team Sahlen Racing. January 26, 2005. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  5. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr. - NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Results". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  6. ^ Potts, Christian (August 26, 2009). "Sky's the limit". The Norman Transcript. Norman, OK. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  7. ^ "Fellows wrecks early at Montreal". ESPN. August 30, 2009. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  8. ^ "Gonzalez to Race Nationwide Series at Phoenix and Road America". Motorsport.com. February 4, 2010. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  9. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr. - NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  10. ^ "Delta Commercial, IMCA to Sponsor Victor Gonzales, RAB Racing in NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Road America". RAB Racing via Catchfence.com. June 7, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  11. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr., No. 99 Delta Commercial / IMCA Toyota Camry, Watkins Glen Preview". Speedway Media. August 8, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  12. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr. Posts 16th-Place Finish at Watkins Glen". Catchfence.com. August 13, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  13. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr. To Make History As First Caribbean Driver In NASCAR Sprint Cup Series". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco, CA. April 20, 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-21.
  14. ^ "LASTCAR.info: Small Team Storylines For The 25th Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma". brock.lastcar.info. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  15. ^ "Victor Gonzalez, Jr. teams up with Niece Motorsports". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
  16. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr. – 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  17. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr. – 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  18. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr. – 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  19. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr. – 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  20. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr. – 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  21. ^ "Victor Gonzalez Jr. – 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
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