NASCAR
A Look Back at Each Foreign NASCAR National Series Race Winner
Through 75 seasons of NASCAR competition, almost 400 drivers have grabbed a checkered flag in the Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck Series. Only a mere 11 of those drivers are foreign natives though, showing an incredible NASCAR dominance from American-born racers. Here’s a look at each of them, and the few who could add to their win columns in 2024.
Mario Andretti
The first foreign-born NASCAR winner was one of the most prolific racers ever. Prior to winning an Indy 500 or the Formula 1 championship, Mario Andretti celebrated a Daytona 500 victory.
In the ninth running of ‘The Great American Race’ in 1967, Andretti and the Holman-Moody Ford team were the class of the field. The No. 11 led a race-high 112 laps, earning the win over teammate Fred Lorenzen. The Italian driving legend only made 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts, with the Daytona 500 being his last top-10.
Earl Ross
Canada native Earl Ross was the first northerner to win a Cup race, finding victory lane at Martinsville in 1974. Driving for Hall of Fame owner Junior Johnson, Ross ended that season a career-best eighth in points. This win propelled him to the Rookie of the Year Award.
Only having 26 starts in NASCAR, Martinsville was Ross’ career high point. Ross remains to this day the only Canadian to win a Cup Series event.
Larry Pollard
Another Canadian began his NASCAR endeavors as a crew chief. Larry Pollard was introduced to NASCAR through being a Busch Series crew member for Ricky Rudd. He eventually became a Cup Series crew chief for ‘The King’ Richard Petty and Phil Parsons.
The crew member began his own driving career in 1985, finding Busch Series victory lane at Langley (Va.) Speedway in 1987. This would be his only win across 98 series starts. 1987 also saw Pollard make a select few Cup starts, earning two top-20s.
Ron Fellows
Often considered one of the first modern era road course ringers is standout Canadian talent Ron Fellows. Over a decade-long span from the late 1990s to the 2000s, Fellows went to victory lane six times across Xfinity and Truck competition.
Five of his six NASCAR wins came at Watkins Glen, with the one outlier being at his home track in Montreal in 2008. Fellows made his final NASCAR start in 2013, the same year the Truck Series began racing at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, a track he owns. Fellows’ one blank space in his NASCAR career was a Cup Series win, with a best result being runner-up twice.
Juan Pablo Montoya
An established talent the world over when he hit the NASCAR scene, Juan Pablo Montoya came to stock cars with incredible hype. Already an Indy 500 and Formula 1 winner, Montoya entered America’s premier motorsport with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2007. Across seven years of full-time Cup competition, Montoya won twice on both Sonoma (2007) and Watkins Glen (2012).
The Columbian has had a very fruitful post-NASCAR racing career as well. He left stock cars for IndyCar again, winning another Indy 500 in 2015. Since then, he’s been racing IMSA sports cars for Team Penske, McLaren, and Rick Ware Racing.
Despite so many accolades across many racing disciplines, Montoya is forever etched in many fans’ minds for a blunder he had little control over. His car broke while passing a jet dryer under caution in the 2012 Daytona 500, slamming into it and setting the track ablaze. Even being one of the most decorated all around racing drivers of the modern age, this incident is Montoya’s lasting NASCAR legacy to some.
Marcos Ambrose
Montoya’s stock car tenure was perhaps overshadowed by another foreign road course ringer, Tasmanian Marcos Ambrose. Ambrose holds the distinction of being NASCAR’s all-time winningest foreign driver, with seven victories across Cup and Xfinity. Ambrose’s two Cup wins were both thrillers, coming in back-to-back seasons at Watkins Glen (2011-2012).
Ambrose and the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 9 were road course sleepers for a few seasons. Much like Montoya, however, the Aussie could never break into victory lane on an oval. Also similar to Ron Fellows, Ambrose made Watkins Glen his personal playground. All but one of his NASCAR wins came on the upstate New York circuit. Ambrose would leave NASCAR competition for good following the 2014 season. Upon returning to his home land down under, Ambrose has largely retreated into racing obscurity.
Nelson Piquet Jr
The son of Formula 1 royalty, Nelson Piquet Jr gave stock cars a valiant try throughout the early 2010s. Racing primarily for Turner-Scott Motorsports, the younger Piquet found success in the 2012 Nationwide Series, winning at Road America. Competing for the Truck Series title that same year, Piquet won twice at Michigan and Las Vegas. These wins led him to finish seventh in the championship.
Piquet remains as the only Brazilian to find success at any NASCAR level, despite the country’s rich racing history. In the last decade since racing NASCAR, Piquet has made starts in Formula E, international sports car racing and Brazilian stock cars.
Daniel Suarez
At the time of this writing, Daniel Suarez is the only international driver to win a NASCAR championship. The Monterrey, Mexico native’s crowning achievement to date came in the 2016 Xfinity Series. That season saw Suarez gain his first career win at Michigan, and then two more victories in the Playoffs. Thanks to winning the season finale at Homestead, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver ended the night on the championship stage.
Following this career high mark, Suarez was immediately thrust into the Cup Series following Carl Edwards’ shocking retirement. The last-minute rookie season for the JGR No. 19 would only net one top-five, however. Following short stints at Stewart-Haas and Gaunt Brothers Racing, Suarez would become the first driver signed to Trackhouse. He still drives the No. 99 Chevrolet to this day.
Suarez finally became a Cup Series race winner at Sonoma in 2022, finding victory lane in his 195th start. This victory put Suarez in very exclusive company. He also became the first international driver to win across all three National Series. Suarez has yet to return to the top of the heap in the Cup Series, but he will have a new crew chief in 2024.
Stewart Friesen
Another Canadian driver, Stewart Friesen is a current regular in the Craftsman Truck Series. The Ontario native has three wins to his name, including the last race at Eldora Speedway in 2019. That season was Friesen’s NASCAR highlight, ending with a Truck Series Championship 4 appearance. Friesen remains in the Truck Series to this day, still chasing wins and championships.
Raphael Lessard
A past Toyota prospect, Quebec native Raphael Lessard became the Truck Series’ third Canadian winner at Talladega in 2020. During this season, Lessard was driving the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 4, before he was replaced the next year by John Hunter Nemechek. Lessard shifted to GMS Racing in 2021, until pandemic-related funding issues saw him vacate this seat too.
To this day, Lessard can still be found racing late models across Canada. Unlike most short trackers though, Lessard carries with him the exclusive title of winner on NASCAR’s biggest track.
Shane van Gisbergen
The latest addition to the foreign winners list is perhaps the biggest come-from-nowhere story. Making his Cup Series debut last July in the inaugural Chicago Street Race, Shane van Gisbergen did the unthinkable. He became the first man in 60 years to win his first NASCAR start, taking Trackhouse Racing’s Project91 car to victory lane. SVG’s street course prowess was of little question; he is one of the all-time best in Australian Supercars.
The New Zealander reached NASCAR’s pinnacle in a history-making weekend, and will be back for more in 2024. Van Gisbergen will compete in the full Xfinity Series season for Kaulig Racing, also making select Cup starts with Trackhouse. While road racing is his forte, he will have a steep learning curve in developing oval track race craft.
At least three foreign drivers (Suarez, Friesen, or van Gisbergen) will have above-average chances at returning to victory lane in 2024. Much like a year ago with Shane van Gisbergen, a relative unknown could surprise everyone. The racing season draws ever so nearer, and with it comes more storylines and anticipation.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credits to Rusty Jarrett, Tom Pennington, Jared C. Tilton, and Chris Graythen/Getty Images and RacingOne Multimedia
