TOLEDO, Ohio — Before Saturday, in 71 previous seasons of competition for the ARCA Menards Series, every driver who hoisted the champion’s trophy originated from the United States.
On a perfect fall afternoon at Toledo Speedway, Mexico City’s Andres Perez capped a historic year that culminated with his becoming the first foreign-born champion in ARCA Menards Series history. Although Victory Lane eluded him, a stellar 2024 enabled Perez to lock up the title by simply showing up and racing in the season finale.
By Brandon White, ARCARacing.Com, Photo: Zack Silver/ARCA Racing
The significance of the milestone was not lost on Perez as he celebrated with his crew and family that had ventured from Mexico to watch him become an ARCA champion. For Perez, reaching this moment in his career involved tremendous sacrifice, patience and perseverance.
“It’s mind-blowing to come from another country [and compete with the ARCA Menards Series], but the championship is extra,” Andres said. “This all started on the road courses in Mexico. I’m super proud to carry Mexico behind me and be the first non-American to win an ARCA [title] is a big deal. This shows consistency, and it was a great year.”
Celebrating a championship is an experience to which Perez had grown accustomed while racing in his home country.
Perez’s first major title came with the Mikel’s Truck Series in 2020, when he tallied four victories along with nine top fives across 10 events. Two years later, he was back on top of the pedestal after earning a championship in the NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series.
Going up against stalwart countrymen like Ruben Garcia Jr., Abraham Calderon and others required Perez to exude plenty of physical and mental discipline. He ascertained as much as possible from the diverse set of tracks around Mexico, all while leaning on his father Ricardo Perez for advice.
Ricardo, a former driver himself with one NASCAR Mexico Series victory to his name in 2006, was impressed at how quick Andres held his own amidst a challenging and competitive environment. Andres’ commitment to a full-time ARCA Menards Series schedule in 2023 left Ricardo excited about his son’s future.
Even if it meant seeing Andres leave Mexico to reside in the United States.
The transition has been difficult at times for the Perez family, but Ricardo said Andres’ maiden title on American soil is proof of his son’s determination paying dividends. That quality is something Ricardo believes will lead Andres to more achievements and make him a great ambassador for Mexican racing culture in the United States.
“There is a lot of effort behind this,” Ricardo said. “[Andres] lives alone, and that is not easy at 17 years old when this all started for him. He’s been working very hard to win this championship. Him being the first foreign-born driver to do it is very nice for us, and everybody in Mexico is so happy about this.”
Andres Perez obtained his ARCA Menards Series title in the same manner that garnered him recognition in Mexico: being consistent.
Following a season-opening crash at Daytona International Speedway, Perez quickly emerged as the strongest of the full-time competitors. He avoided trouble to build up a comfortable advantage in the standings, as he finished outside the top 10 just twice more.
The only accomplishment Perez had not procured heading into the season-ending Owens Corning 200 at Toledo was his first ARCA Menards Series victory.
He kept a close eye on the Owens Corning 200 trophy that was placed alongside the title trophy during the ARCA Menards Series champion’s banquet the previous evening. With Toledo being his last opportunity at a victory in 2024, Perez was willing to be more aggressive so he could finally celebrate a victory.
Aggression ended up costing him Saturday, as a three-wide maneuver on eventual winner William Sawalich during a late restart sent Perez spinning into the grass. Despite this, Perez expressed no disappointment over how his race ended, as he had already done everything necessary to become an ARCA Menards Series champion.
“We had a great season overall,” he said. “These last few races, we had to execute and make zero mistakes. Today, we had a chance for the win, but it didn’t happen. I made a move that didn’t work, but it’s been so many years for me [to get this championship].
“It all sunk in a couple of weeks ago.”
With his championship, Perez adds to an esteemed legacy in motorsports developed by Drive for Diversity and Rev Racing. The team previously won the ARCA Menards Series title with Nick Sanchez in 2022 while also possessing an ARCA Menards Series East championship, which was claimed in 2012 by NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.
Ricardo Perez considers himself fortunate Andres became a part of the nurturing, productive environment developed by Drive for Diversity. He is confident Andres has all the essential ingredients to enjoy a sustainable career at the top levels of NASCAR.
“[Andres] has a lot of talent, but there’s a lot of work behind that,” Ricardo said. “He is working very hard, he is very prepared, and he has an amazing Rev Racing team. For NASCAR, this is very nice, because he is representing the [Drive for Diversity] program and showing how much success they have.
“For me, I’m the most proud father in the world right now.”
Andres Perez added that the guidance provided by Rev Racing owner Max Siegel and everyone at Drive for Diversity was only part of the winning equation. He had to fulfill his own role to obtain strong results every week.
No division has tested Perez like the ARCA Menards Series with a schedule that includes road courses, short tracks, superspeedways and dirt tracks. He said the knowledge he obtained from so many different tracks is only going to be beneficial as he progresses further up the developmental ladder.
“[The ARCA Menards Series] is such a good development series for how the schedule is,” Andres said. “I’ve improved so much in every aspect, whether it’s in the car or in the shop. I’m thankful for everything that’s happened to get me to this place.”
For now, Perez intends to cherish his accomplishment while simultaneously reflecting on his own arduous journey.
Moving away from the country that had defined his life and racing career to chase his own American dream involved many long weeks, yet Perez’s resolve never wavered. Now he finds himself amongst an elite group of ARCA Menards Series champions that include Frank Kimmel, Iggy Katona, Benny Parsons, Tim Steele, Justin Allgaier, Ty Gibbs and others.
A bright future awaits Perez in NASCAR following his title, but he expressed a desire to slow down for the time being and return to his roots before embarking on a busy 2025.
“I want to go back home for a while,” he said. “I haven’t been home in a while, and that’s the hardest thing of doing this. I’m going home to enjoy time with family and friends.”
Perez will have plenty of stories to tell when he does return to Mexico, having proudly represented his country by conquering one of the United States’ longest-running stock car divisions.
