Victor Gonzalez Jr.

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.

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 position	48th
Best finish	48th (2013)
First race	2013 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Sonoma)
Last race	2013 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 position	76th
Best finish	60th (2012)
First race	2009 NAPA Auto Parts 200 (Montreal)
Last race	2018 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 position	56th
Best finish	56th (2017)
First race	2017 Chevrolet Silverado 250 (Mosport)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
Statistics current as of November 17, 2018.

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. "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.

External links

• Official website
• Victor Gonzalez Jr. driver statistics at Racing-Reference