Alex Popow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alex Popow
Nationality	Venezuelan
Born	(1975-11-09) November 9, 1975 (age 49) Lechería, Venezuela
American Le Mans Series Rolex Sports Car Series career
Current team	CORE autosport Starworks Motorsport
Racing licence	FIA Bronze
Previous series
Mexican Seat Leon Championship Latin American Challenge Formula 2000 Championship Supercup Seat Leon Formula 2000 Venezuela Latin America Formula 2000 Mustang Cup Fiat Palio Cup
Championship titles
2005 2000, 2002 1998–1999	Formula 2000 Venezuela Mustang Cup Fiat Palio Cup
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2012 position	96th
Best finish	96th (2012)
First race	2012 Zippo 200 (Watkins Glen)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
Statistics current as of July 1, 2013.

Alex Popow Karaha, born on November 9, 1975, in Lecheria, Venezuela, is a talented racing driver. He competes in exciting car races like the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series. He races for teams such as CORE autosport and Starworks Motorsport.

In 2012, Alex became a champion in the LMPC class of the American Le Mans Series. He also won the 12 Hours of Sebring in his class that year. Another big win for him was the first-ever Brickyard Grand Prix at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2012. He also finished second overall in the tough 2012 24 Hours of Daytona race.

About Alex Popow's Name

Alex Popow's last name, pronounced "pop-off," comes from his family's Eastern European background. His family's original name was Popov, but it was changed to Popow when his ancestors moved to a new country. This was shared during a TV broadcast on Speed Channel.

Alex Popow's Early Racing Days

Alex Popow started his racing journey in his home country, Venezuela, in 1996. He quickly showed his skill by winning the Eastern Division Championship for 2000cc cars. He won this championship again the next year.

After that, he moved on to compete in the Fiat Palio Cup and the Mustang Cup. He was very successful in both. Alex was the Expert Class champion in the Palio Cup in 1998 and 1999. He also won the Mustang Cup in 2000 and 2002.

In 2005, Alex won the Formula 2000 Venezuela Championship. He then helped create the first all-Venezuelan team to race in the Panam-GP series, which took place in six different countries.

Success at the Bogota 6 Hours Race

The Bogota 6 Hours is a very important car racing event in Colombia. Alex Popow has done very well in this race too. In his first time competing in 1997, he finished in second place. He also got second place finishes in 2004 and 2005. A big moment for Alex was when he became the champion of the Bogota 6 Hours race in 2011.

Off-Road Racing Adventures

Between 2007 and 2009, Alex Popow tried a different kind of racing: off-road. He competed in the AWA 4x4 Rally Championship. In this series, he earned a third-place finish in the LUV D-MAX Trophy.

Racing in the Rolex Sports Car Series

Alex Popow made his first appearance in the Grand-Am series in 2011. He raced in the Rolex Sports Car Series for the Starworks Motorsport team. His best finish that season was third place at Watkins Glen, where he raced with Ryan Dalziel. He ended the year in 20th place in the Daytona Prototype points standings.

In 2012, Alex achieved his first victory in the series at the first-ever Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He also earned two second-place finishes and two fourth-place finishes, which helped him finish sixth in the drivers' championship that year.

In the 2013 Rolex Sports Car Series season, Alex Popow and Ryan Dalziel had a strong start. They achieved one win, two second-place finishes, and two third-place finishes. Even with these good results, they finished eighth in the drivers' championship in the DP class. In 2013, Alex Popow won the 'Jim Trueman' Award by a large margin. His team, Starworks Motorsport, was also named 'Sports Car Team of the Year' by the SPEED Channel.

Racing in the American Le Mans Series

Alex Popow had an amazing debut in the American Le Mans Series in 2012. He won the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring race. He teamed up with Burt Frisselle and E. J. Viso in a CORE autosport Oreca FLM09 Prototype Challenge car. After that big win, he continued his success by winning the next ALMS race at Long Beach with Ryan Dalziel.

Other Racing Experiences

Alex Popow has also competed in other racing championships. He raced in the Latin America Challenge Formula 2000 Championship, finishing third in 2010 and fourth in 2011. In 2011, he also took part in the Mexican Supercup Seat Leon Championship, where he finished second.

Additionally, Alex Popow finished third in the 2012 Gulf 12 Hours race held in Abu Dhabi. In August 2012, Alex made his debut in NASCAR. He drove in the Nationwide Series for TriStar Motorsports at Watkins Glen International.

Alex Popow's Personal Life

Alex Popow is married to Lu-Ann Acosta-Rubio. They have two children, including a son also named Alex, who is following in his father's footsteps as a junior formula racecar driver. In his free time, Alex Popow enjoys extreme sports.

Motorsports Career Results

NASCAR Nationwide Series Results

(key) (Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position earned by points standings. * – Most laps led.)

Nationwide Series

^* Season still in progress
¹ not eligible for series points

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

See also

In Spanish: Alex Popow para niños