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NASCAR MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 27, 2019

Ruben Garcia, Jr.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for joining us this morning. We are joined by a reigning Peak Mexico Series champion Ruben Garcia Jr. who is part of a special NASCAR international driver exchange program.
For the second straight season, the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will swap drivers with another international series. Ruben will be participating in the Euro season opener in Valencia, Spain, on April 13th, while the 2019 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion will then go to Mexico and compete in their series finale in Mexico City in December.
I want to open it up with a question for Ruben.
What was your reaction when this program came together and you were told that you would be racing in Spain next month?
RUBEN GARCIA JR.: Yeah, it was a great news for me because for the last couple of years, I've been trying to put something together to go run in Euro NASCAR. That's the series that has been running a lot and really got my interest, go to some really good racetracks. I've seen some races. They look really, really fun. That's something that really caught my interest.
After my championship in Mexico, I was told that it was a possibility. Probably a month ago or a few months ago, I was told that it was actually going to happen. So that was a great news for me.
I'm really excited to go to Valencia, a track I've never been to. I really like Spain. It's cool to get to travel there and get a chance to give a try to the Euro NASCAR Series.
THE MODERATOR: Before you have the opportunity to go to race in Europe, the NASCAR Mexico series opens this week in Monterey. You finished seventh there the last two seasons. What is your outlook for the team to open the season town in Monterey? What do you think the chances are to repeat your championship this year?
RUBEN GARCIA JR.: Well, this year is going to be a little bit harder. But our team is spending way better than last year. I think we have everything we need. It's going to be a little bit harder because there would be some races that I will show with no practice and no qualifying because I will have to race Saturday afternoon here in the United States with the K&N Pro Series. That just makes it a little bit more challenging. Three races that I will have to do more than my best to get out with a good points amount, then I'll have to catch up with the other nine races of the season. That will make it a little bit harder.
But our team is way stronger than last year. We made some upgrades. We have some new partners in the team. I think the championship is a great motivation builder for me and for the entire team, /EFPBL though we'll be in a little disadvantage with the other drivers. We can go for a third championship.
It good. Monterey is a good track for us. The last couple of years we had a little bit of bad luck there, a flat tire running second in 2017 with, like, five laps to go, then last year with had a little bit of fuel mileage calculation problems. But still we finished inside the top 10.
Hopefully this year we can put everything together and get our first win at that track.
THE MODERATOR: We'll now go ahead and open up the line for media questions for Ruben Garcia.

Q. I understand that you also have a number of friends in Spain. How many times have you visited there? Will it be exciting for you to have some of your friends come and watch you in Valencia?
RUBEN GARCIA JR.: Yes, that will be great. I actually spent New Year's and Christmas in Spain because one of my best friends since childhood, they moved to Spain at the same time I moved to the United States. They'll come to my race. It will be really cool to have some friends that are like family to me go to my first race in Valencia.
I haven't been to Valencia. I've been to Barcelona, Madrid, some of the bigger cities. I'll go first to Madrid, see my friends, then go to Valencia.
It's great. Even though I'm far away from home, the United States is where I'm living now, it will still feel like home because they speak my native language there, it's a country I enjoy traveling to. I will have friends and my dad there.
It will feel nice to have so much support down there even though I'm very far of home.

Q. How much do you know about the Whelen Euro Series and the style of racing that they have there? Do you get a sense it's much different than what you're doing now?
RUBEN GARCIA JR.: Yes, it's a little bit different. I mean, the cars are similar to what we race in Mexico. They have some similarities. I think on that part it won't be as challenging.
They have more the European style of racing, the FIA style of racing. I have to be very‑‑ it's different than what we do in Mexico and here in the United States. They really don't have contact. Their battles are strong but they're very, very respectful. That's something I need to get used to, like no contact at all. They're very good road course racers. I will have just three practices to catch up with them.

Q. I know your 2019 season is just getting started. You made this comment before, that this is kind of a make‑or‑break year for you. What is it going to take to have success and to maybe try to take a next step in your racing career?
RUBEN GARCIA JR.: Yes, this is a very important year for me. I think this is, like you said, the breaker year in my career. I really need to perform really good at this first half of the season, whether it is in the K&N Pro Series or the NASCAR Mexico Series. This race will have great exposure for me in Spain.
Just do whatever I can to try to move up and start putting something together to start racing in the national series.

Q. You said the driving style will be a little bit different, but do you feel your experience on road courses, as much experience as you have racing especially in the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, it will be a little bit different of a car for you, but do you feel comfortable knowing you're going to be doing this exchange program on a road course?
RUBEN GARCIA JR.: Yes. I would love to race on an oval because I think that's where I feel most comfortable. But I don't feel bad at road courses. Whenever I run road courses, either it's in the Mexico Series or in the K&N Series, I usually perform pretty good.
I know them guys are experts on road course, but I don't feel way back on that area. Yes, it will be a completely new car for me, a very new racetrack for me. I just seen it two races in TV. That doesn't mean nothing. It will take me some time to get used to the car and learn the track, but I really don't think I'm way back on the road course experience.

Q. Do you feel like this is a chance to really expose the rest of the world to the competition level and what you have in the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, especially over in Spain?
RUBEN GARCIA JR.: Yes, absolutely. I think it's a great opportunity because there's a great level in the NASCAR Mexico Series as well in the Euro NASCAR Series. I think it's a great opportunity for both series to show how good they are, how good the NASCAR Mexico drivers can do outside their country. Even though we're racing against road course specialists, we still can perform pretty good.
That's something I'm really looking forward. I know that series has been growing a lot lately. That's great to see. I really want to give it a try and see where I'm at against them.

Q. The last couple years the Euro Series has been getting kind of a lot of attention from high‑profile drivers, Bobby Labonte, Jacques Villeneuve. What do you think it is about the Euro Series that is suddenly drawing from high‑profile drivers? What is it that has drawn you to it?
RUBEN GARCIA JR.: Well, I can tell you what is got my attentions. Probably very similar to what them drivers are getting the attention to the Euro Series.
First of all, that series is growing fast, very fast, a lot in the last few years. I mean, they're getting a lot of new cars a lot of new sponsors. That's always a good sign for a series. If that's happening, it's because they're doing something right. As a driver, you always want to try new things and get new challenges. That will get your attention.
Also something that really got my attention is that they go to some really cool places and really cool tracks. It seemed like a very cool series to go to. All the drivers I know from the Euro Series, they're really happy to run there.
You see the races, they're very fun to watch. That's something that really got my attention. They go to some Formula 1 racetracks, some great facilities, great road courses, one day I dreamed about racing.
That's one of the few things that really got my attention, wanting to go there and give it a try.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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