Alex Garcia was supposed to be a full-time Nationwide Series competitor in 2008, only to find himself one of countless drivers and teams whose plans were shuttered due to reductions in sponsor dollars. Since failing to qualify for the NNS race at Watkins Glen in August of that year, he and his #98 car have been absent from NASCAR. But he never left the sport. Instead, the only Venezuelan to ever start a NASCAR race has been working the PR trails, trying to find the sponsorship that has been so fleeting. Now, as 2010 rolls around, Garcia is refocusing his efforts not as a driver, but as an owner seeking to facilitate driver development for Latin Americans who now are considering stock cars as a potential career path. With the focus of many foreign drivers tackling the road courses as an introduction to stock car racing, Garcia’s team is preparing accordingly. “We’re finishing up our road race car [and] on the Nationwide Series side we’ll definitely be there for the road course races,” states Garcia. “We’re not ready to make the jump to full-time. We’ve got some interest in some races, the road races happen to be the first ones. We’re [also] building a car for the ARCA race, and we hope to test at Palm Beach on February 8.”(Frontstretch Newsletter)(2-1-2010)
