NASCAR's First Puerto Rican Driver Debuts Sunday

The world of NASCAR is about to get a little more Latino.

Victor Gonzalez Jr. has been racing as long as he can remember and on anything he could find that had a steering wheel.

But, short of money, he had to do some overtime trying to raise funds for his passion. “I started meeting new people in 2009 and got a break,” Gonzalez told Fox News Latino.

This Sunday, in Sonoma, Calif., Gonzalez will make history as the first Caribbean-born racer to drive a stock car in an official Sprint Cup race.

The Sonoma Raceway will host the Toyota Save-Mart 350, where Gonzalez will face stock cars best racers including Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya.

“I just want to race smart and win for the team,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez, 37, is from Puerto Rico where he worked for many years to break into the elite. Now he is finally getting a chance.

“I think God has helped me and opened the right doors up,” said Gonzalez. “This is going to be a showcase.”

Besides a win, what Gonzalez wants to accomplish is becoming a mainstay in America’s most popular motor sport.

“NASCAR, they’ve been talking to me,” said Gonzalez. “This is amazing. I think NASCAR knows that I can help grow their fan base.”

Gonzalez is optimistic that he can make an impact and NASCAR could also benefit.