CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It was a celebration of the roots of racing.
As NASCAR president Steve Phelps put it in introducing Thursday night’s NASCAR Regional and International Awards at the Charlotte Convention Center, “Grass roots racing is at the core of what we do as a sport.”
The homage to the roots of racing also featured a decidedly international flavor — and even an impromptu marriage proposal from one of the racing champions.
Mexican driver Andrés Pérez de Lara of Rev Racing fashioned a remarkably consistent season in becoming the first foreign-born driver to win the ARCA Menards Series championship, beating teammate and Bounty rookie of the year Lavar Scott by 41 points.
“I’m just super proud of what all this means,” said Pérez de Lara, who posted 10 top fives and 17 top 10s in 20 starts to claim the title. “I’m just trying to enjoy it and take some cool pictures. It means a lot — the whole year’s work.
“I think this ARCA championship means a lot in terms of my career and how many opportunities it can bring me. There’s very good stuff coming, moving into the NASCAR world. I’m not able to say more details right now, but it’s definitely a good thing.”
Two drivers who have revealed what they’re doing next year are ARCA Menards Series East champion William Sawalich and runner-up Connor Zilisch, who battled throughout the year in a championship race decided by 12 points.
Sawalich will race the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series Toyota and looks forward to renewing the competition with Zilisch, who will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports next season.
“We know how to race each other really good, really clean,” Sawalich said at the red-carpet festivities before the awards. “We figured each other’s craft out, how we race and what our characteristics are… I can’t wait to race him next year in Xfinity.”
Zilisch, who won his Xfinity Series debut from the pole at Watkins Glen in September, engendered high expectations with three top fives in four starts in the series.
“That was pretty incredible,” said Zilisch, who expects to drive in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January. “It set the bar high for me. Every race, you have to learn to be better. I expected to do well at my first Xfinity race, considering it was on a road course, but I feel like I still have work to do.
“I’m going into next year with a lot of things I can improve on. I’m looking forward to it. Just got to continue to work hard and not let the success get to me.”
The recognition of Sen Hingorani as ARCA Menards Series West Champion for the second straight season completed the ARCA trifecta.
One of the highlights of the Awards was NASCAR Canada Series champion Marc-Antoine Camirand’s proposal from the stage to his girlfriend of 27 years, Sophie Marcotte, as their son and daughter teared up in the audience.
Hosted by broadcasters Jamie Little and Adam Alexander, the Awards also celebrated the accomplishments of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore and NASCAR México Series champion Rubén García Jr.., both of whom have won multiple titles in their respective series.
Bonsignore beat Ron Silk by 32 points to win his fourth modified championship for owner Ken Massa.
“Fifteen years ago, I saw something in him that told me we could be champions,” Massa said of his driver.
Bonsignore, who finished 22nd in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June, may have more of a presence on the stock car side of NASCAR next year. The 36-year-old from Holtsville, N.Y., is working on a deal that could land him as many as 10 races in the Joe Gibbs Racing all-star car.
A three-time winner this year, with 12 top 10s in 13 starts, García was recognized as the NASCAR México Series champion for the fifth time.
“To me, I’m trying to work to race at the national level here (in the United States),” García said. “There’s a lot of stuff to do, a lot of work to do, sponsorship hunting to do, but having a NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico City (next year) definitely helps.”
NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion Vittorio Ghirelli is another driver with his eyes on the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Ghirelli won the pole for all seven Euro Series races this season. He has competed on ovals twice, winning both races from the pole.
From the Awards stage, NASCAR Brasil Series co-champion Alex Seid touted the growing popularity of NASCAR Racing in that country.
“It was a tough season,” remarked Seid, who won the title with teammate Gabriel Casagrande. “All the best drivers in Brazil are moving to NASCAR.”
Affable Connor Hall, who will drive full-time for JR Motorsports on the CARS Tour next season, won the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Series national championship for the second straight year.
First-generation racer Caity Miller of Idaho was honored with the 2024 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award.