As you make your way into the midway at Winchester Speedway, a banner reads “Through these gates pass the bravest drivers in the world.” The high banks of Winchester test the nerves of even the most experienced of veterans in short track racing.
Enter Mexico City native Andrik Dimayuga, who just completed his second-career Super Late Model race and just his second oval start period at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.”
The NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series driver has joined forces with former Snowball Derby-winning Crew Chief Richie Wauters and Wauters Motorsports for his ASA STARS National Tour debut in the Glass City 200 Presented by DTS Drive Train Specialists and Courtyard by Marriott at Toledo Speedway on Saturday, September 16, as well as the Winchester 400 on October 15 and the Snowball Derby in December. He made his United States debut in the No.5 in a Super Late Model race at Lebanon I-44 Speedway in late August, and just finished third in the ASA/CRA Super Series event at Winchester on Sunday night.
Facing a challenge not seen in his native Mexico with both car and track, Dimayuga is proud of what he has been able to accomplish so far.
“I just made my second start in a Super Late Model and I think we’re doing a good job. In Mexico, we don’t have these kind of cars or this kind of track, so we’re learning a lot,” said Dimayuga. “We need to learn fast and I’m proud of our runs.”
Dimayuga is a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series driving for family-owned Dimayuga Racing Team, the series below the premier NASCAR Mexico Series. Challenge Series races are run at the same time as the flagship division races, similar to IMSA road racing.
The two-time Super Copa GTM VICE champion is in his third full season with the series and recently picked up his first-career Challenge Series victory at Autodromo de Monterey in July. He returns to Mexico for a race at Óvalo Aguascalientes México on September 10, where he finds himself locked in a battle to get into the NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series playoffs ahead of his ASA STARS National Tour debut on September 16.
Before his Super Late Model debut at Lebanon I-44 Speedway, his only previous oval experience came in an ARCA test at Daytona International Speedway in January 2021. Dimayuga received a practice day to get a feel for Winchester ahead of the ASA/CRA Super Series race at the World Stock Car Festival. With only one previous Super Late Model start and only a single race on an oval beforehand, a daunting experience was in the cards for his Winchester Speedway debut.
After 100 laps of racing around Winchester and a podium finish, Dimayuga joked about not feeling nervous going to another racetrack again.
“After this race I’m not going to feel fear anymore. It’s a very quick track and you make a lap in like 15, 16 seconds; it’s very fast. I got a lot of practice at this track and I’m ready for Toledo.”
While his next Super Late Model start comes at another fast half-mile in Toledo Speedway, he feels two days at Winchester has him prepared for anything thrown his way. He has been under the tutelage of former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor German Quiroga in Mexico, and was also a big help in Dimayuga’s first foray into the United States.
Two races in with Wauters Motorsports, he’s looking forward to what he can learn as he tries to make his way into a future ARCA or Truck Series ride.
“It’s been very nice. I’ve learned a lot mechanically and with my race line. Big thanks to German Quiroga, he was a NASCAR Truck Series driver. He’s been my driver coach and I’ve learned a lot from him.”