Mexican Champ Goeters Set For Daytona Debut

Goeters is ready to race

Reigning NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series champion Jorge Goeters is getting set to add racing at "The World Center of Racing" to his résumé.

The Mexico City native will make his first trip to Daytona International Speedway for the inaugural UNOH Battle At The Beach. Alongside champions from NASCAR's other international series – Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 – Goeters will take part in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series element of the three-pronged event that will also include a combination race for the two NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours and a Late Model competition for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

Goeters earned a guaranteed starting position in the race of his by virtue of winning the Toyota Series championship. It was his second series title, but first in the NASCAR era in Mexico that began in 2007.

The prestigious event will be contested on a .4-mile oval on the backstretch at the Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18-19. The short-track offering is new to the hallowed venue that also boasts a 2.5-mile high-banked superspeedway, 3.56-mile road course, 2.95-mile motorcycle track and a quarter-mile dirt track. The short track is a byproduct of the 2010 repaving project at the facility.

While the first-year track will require adjustments from every competitor, the tight quarters will add a component to which Goeters is not entirely accustomed. The shortest track on which the Toyota Series races is the half-mile Autódromo Potosino near San Luis Potosí, Mexico. However, the series routinely has fields of 30 or more cars that put a premium on real estate even on the larger tracks.

Goeters spoke of the value of a winning attitude at the close of the 2012 season.

“I have always considered myself a winning driver,” he said. “Believing is as important as working hard. The belief is what drives everyone which turns into hard work which makes dreams come true.”

Another shift from the norm for Goeters will be the equipment. The cars used in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series are different from what he is used to, but the veteran doesn’t expect a difficult transition.

Goeters’ car is being fielded by Viva La Raza Racing which competed in several K&N Pro Series East events in 2012. The experienced crew will be able to make the necessary changes for Goeters, who has competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series.

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models will have qualifying races and a 150-lap feature on Feb. 18, while the racing on Feb. 19 will include a similar schedule of qualifying races and 150-lap races for both the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours and NASCAR K&N Pro Series.