Carlos Contreras, one of the first Hispanic drivers in NASCAR, has joined ESPN Deportes’ experienced team of hosts, analysts and reporters for ESPN Deportes’ coverage of the 2007 NASCAR season. Contreras will serve as analyst for numerous races, joining analyst Alex Pombo and play-by-play commentator Andrés Agulla in the booth. He will make his first appearance on ESPN Deportes’ flag-to-flag coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series: Stater Bros 300 Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7:30pm/et live from the California Speedway in Fontana, CA. We are excited to have Carlos on our team, said Chris Calcinari, vice president of production and operations, ESPN Deportes. Carlos will bring real world insight, experience, and inside information to our productions, and his on-the-track experience will be a tremendous asset for our NASCAR telecasts. For the first time in the history of Spanish-language television fans will be able to follow NASCAR action in Spanish and we have assembled the most knowledgeable team to offer top-notch coverage. Contreras, an eight-time Mexican racing champion, has 84 career starts in NASCAR’s top series, including 70 in the Craftsman Truck Series and 14 in the Busch Series, the most of any Hispanic driver. Contreras made his NASCAR debut by qualifying 7th and finishing 14th in the season finale Craftsman Truck Series at the California Speedway in 1999. He ran the full Truck Series season in 2000 and was runner-up in the Rookie of the Year standings to future Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch. In addition to his duties with ESPN Deportes, this 2007 season Contreras is slated to run several Busch series races for Armando Fitz and Fitz Motorsports, beginning with Mexico City on March 4th.(ESPN PR)(2-12-2007)
