The Best Foreign-Born Race Winners in NASCAR History

While Kyle Larson said Shane van Gisbergen must improve on a few things to be “dominant” in the future, the three-time Supercars champion torching the field in Sonoma last weekend for his second straight Cup Series victory and third this season proved he was already there. Chase Briscoe’s even willing to take it a few very large steps forward.

"I never played basketball against Michael Jordan in his prime, but I feel like that's probably what it was like,” runner-up Briscoe said of dueling with SVG all day in Wine Country. “That guy is unbelievable on road courses. He's just so good. He's really raised the bar on this entire series."

Already touted as potentially the best road-course driver in NASCAR history, SVG’s fourth win in 34 starts makes him the fastest to hit that milestone since Parnelli Jones did so nearly 60 years ago. Better yet, the Kiwi took the lead and never took his foot off the gas, slashing through the legendary Jeff Gordon’s record of 92 laps led at Sonoma with a staggering 97 of his own. That’s one fast fruit.

With van Gisbergen continuing to gobble up accolade after accolade, seemingly rewriting history on a weekly basis as he is now the winningest foreign-born driver in NASCAR history, here’s a look at the top international-born drivers to also blaze the NASCAR trail.

NASCAR's best foreign-born drivers

Shane van Gisbergen – Auckland, New Zealand
Cup wins: 3 | Xfinity wins: 4 

After exploding onto the Cup Series scene in 2023 with his victory of Chicago’s inaugural street race, Shane van Gisbergen has now cruised his way into high-octane stardom. Trackhouse Racing’s other star not named Ross Chastain guaranteed himself a spot in the playoffs with a strategy that top contender Kyle Larson says, “there’s zero chance I can learn how to do that.” The 2025 season hasn’t hit the postseason yet, but SVG has already laid claim to the Rookie of the Year award.

Daniel Suarez – Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Cup wins: 2 | Xfinity wins: 4 | Truck wins: 1

Daniel Suarez is the only wheelman born outside of the United States to win at all three league levels in addition to also being the only driver on our list to score Cup Series victories on both ovals and road courses. While the Mexican driver plans to part ways with his team Trackhouse Racing at the end of the 2025 Cup Series season, with a record of seven wins, Suarez has earned his rightful place amongst his talented peers. 

Marcos Ambrose – Tasmania, Australia
Cup wins: 2 | Xfinity wins: 5

Like SVG, Marcos Ambrose is another Supercars champions (2003, 2004) who switched gears and found success in NASCAR. Currently the record holder for the most wins in the Xfinity series by a foreign-born driver, Ambrose excelled on road courses, eclipsing the field at Watkins Glen three consecutive times. 

Ron Fellows – Ontario, Canada  
Xfinity wins: 4 | Truck wins: 2

In similar fashion to the drivers from Down Under, Ron Fellows was masterful on road courses. When it came to NASCAR’s top flight, he narrowly missed out on a myriad of trips down Victory Lane, but his impressive skill behind the wheel propelled him to a pair of wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and induction into Corvette’s prestigious Hall of Fame. 

Juan Pablo Montoya – Bogotá, Colombia
Cup wins: 2 | Xfinity wins: 1 

When it comes to motorsports, Juan Pablo Montoya can do it all. Though he only notched a pair of wins in the Cup Series, Montoya’s a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, moving him into rarified air in IndyCar. Tack on his seven victories and 30 podiums in the coveted realm of F1, and it’s no mistake that the Colombian speedster’s on our list. 

Nelson Piquet Jr. – Brazilian; Born in Heidelberg, West Germany 
Xfinity wins: 1 | Truck wins: 2

Born to one of Brazil’s most successful F1 drivers, Nelson Piquet Jr.’s journey to the fast lane was all but destined. With his Nationwide Series victory at Road America in 2012, he became the first Brazilian wheelman to score the checkered flag in a NASCAR touring series event. He  would later go on to capture the 2014-2015 Formula E championship before retiring from NASCAR in 2016 at just 30 years old.  

Mario Andretti – Montona, Istria, Kingdom of Italy 
Cup wins: 1 

The patriarch of the Andretti racing family, when it comes to motorsports, Mario Andretti is more than just a wheelman – he’s an institution. He owns four IndyCar National Championships titles along with the 1969 Indianapolis 500. A perennial threat in F1, the Italian-born Andretti won the 1978 Formula One World Drivers’ Championship as well as 12 Grand Prix races. Despite scoring only three top-10 finishes in his Cup Series career, the three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner finally broke through on NASCAR’s biggest stage when he won the illustrious 1967 Daytona 500. Synonymous with speed, Andretti resides in a category of his own as the now 85-year-old is the only driver to win the Holy Trinity of races – the Indy 500, the F1 World Drivers’ Championship, and the Daytona 500.

Earl Ross – Fortune, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Cup wins: 1

Competing for a team owned by the famed Junior Johnson – perhaps the most hard-nosed, trail-blazing driver to ever grace a NASCAR track – Earl Ross scored his first and only Cup Series win in 1974 at Martinsville Speedway. His success in close-quarters racing on “The Half Mile of Mayhem” that day forever etched his name into the history books and helped spur exponential growth in Canadian stock car racing for generations to come.  

The NASCAR Cup Series makes it way to USA Network on August 3 with the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol. Coverage then shifts to NBC on August 23 for the Coke Zero Sugar 400. The remainder of the post-season will air on USA Network except for the final two playoff races and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in Phoenix, Arizona, which will air on NBC. To find out more, please check local listings and the Cup Series schedule.