The name Andrés Pérez de Lara may not sound familiar to many NASCAR fans, but that will soon change as he takes the Craftsman Truck Series by storm.
The Mexican-born racer is in his second full-time season in NASCAR’s third-tier division. Last year, he swapped teams after just 17 races, recognizing Spire Motorsports was not his long-term home. Instead, he moved to Niece Motorsports, and he has thrived ever since.
âIt was definitely a big jump,” Pérez de Lara said. “Obviously, things didnât work last year at Spire. We had some success, but there were also struggles. Making the move to Niece midway during the year was an unknown, but it was really a good move for me and we ran well. It was a good change, and to continue it this year has been great. I feel like the team has a lot of motivation.âÂ
Now, Pérez de Lara is determined to not only win his first NASCAR race, but he wants to qualify for the Chase and make a deep playoff run.
Thus far, through the first four races in 2026, Pérez de Lara sits a respectable ninth in the standings and would be higher if he didn’t crash at Darlington Speedway.
“We want to be in the Chase,” Pérez de Lara said. “Weâve been consistent enough, so we want to fight for the championship and that comes with consistency. My personal goal is to get a race win. That would be really cool to have. Itâs something Iâve been working really hard to have. If we put everything together, thereâs no reason we shouldnât be able to compete in the top in the Truck Series.
âConsistency is going to be really important, so we need to put good results together. We want to win the race, and that will help even more.â
Pérez de Lara’s Friendship With Daniel Suárez
Pérez de Lara is following in the footsteps of NASCAR Cup Series winner Daniel Suárez, who currently competes for Spire Motorsports, Pérez de Lara’s former team.
But that hasn’t impacted their relationship in anyway. The young protégé is determined to be the next Mexican Cup Series sensation after graduating from NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, just like Suárez.
Not only has Suárez given Pérez de Lara on-track advice, but he is also helping him make connections.
âHeâs in the Chevy program, as well as me,” Pérez de Lara said of Suárez. “I see him a lot, and heâs been supportive and heâs always there. And we have the connection with Freeway Insurance, and the connection with Daniel has made it stronger. More than advice, the way he looks at his career and all of the stuff we did coming from Mexico to the U.S. requires further learning, and thereâs so many things we can get out of it. We support each other.â
He is also being supported by major Mexican brands, such as Telcel, TajÃn and Zambos.
âThe support I bring from Mexico has been awesome,” Pérez de Lara said. “Having brands from Mexico support me in the U.S. has been really cool, and itâs also helped me a lot to be in this position. This year, we added Acceptance Insurance and all of the other stuff that weâre working on is really cool. I feel like things are starting to work out better in that area. Me coming from Mexico opens the doors for having those opportunities to bring partners, as well.â
Pérez de Lara’s NASCAR Future
Of course, nothing is set in stop, but Pérez de Lara has high expectations for his future. The ARCA Menards Series champion became the series’ first international driver to claim the crown. Now, he wants more of the same in NASCAR’s higher divisions.
âMy short-term goal is to win a race and be in the Chase,” he said of his future. “My long-term goal is to be in the Cup Series. However that path looks like, I still donât know. But I want to be in the Cup Series and I want to keep growing my career here in the U.S. Thatâs what I work for everyday.â
Last year, he got a taste of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, competing with DGM Racing at his hometrack in Mexico City. While that event was taken off the calendar for 2026, it showed teams what he is capable of.
But for now, his focus is on the Truck Series with the No. 44 team. He believes there are several tracks where he can get his first win.
âThe first one that comes to mind is Watkins Glen,” he explained. “I have a road course background and Iâve performed really well there the last couple of years. Thereâs a lot of others that Iâm excited for that you donât even know. Last year, New Hampshire wasnât a track I was looking forward to â it was just a track that was there â and I didnât have any expectations, but it ended up being one of our best ones. We led a couple of laps and ran in the top five. If thatâs the case this year, it can be at any race that weâre going to put everything together.â
Pérez de Lara’s next shot at scoring a win is this weekend’s contest at Rockingham, where he finished 12th in 2025.
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