Alex Popow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alex Popow |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||
| Nationality |  Venezuelan |
||||||
| Born | November 9, 1975 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) | ||||||
|
|||||||
| Statistics current as of July 1, 2013. | |||||||
Alex Popow Karaha (born 9 November 1975) is a race car driver from Venezuela. He competes in exciting races like the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series. Alex has raced 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. That same year, he won the famous 12 Hours of Sebring race in his class. He also took a big win at the first-ever Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Alex also finished second in the tough 2012 24 Hours of Daytona race.
Contents
What's in a Name?
Alex Popow's last name, pronounced "pop-off", comes from his family's Eastern European background. His family name was originally Popov. It was changed to Popow when his ancestors moved to a new country.
Alex's Early Racing Days
Alex Popow started his racing journey in his home country, Venezuela, in 1996. He won the Eastern Division Championship for 2000cc cars. He won this championship again the next year.
After that, he moved on to race in the Fiat Palio Cup and the Mustang Cup. He did very well in both.
- In the Palio Cup, he was the Expert Class champion 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. This series took place in six different countries.
Success at Bogota 6 Hours
The Bogota 6 Hours is a very important car race in Colombia. Alex Popow has had a lot of success there.
- In his first race in 1997, he finished second.
- He also got second place in 2004 and 2005.
- In 2011, Alex was crowned the champion of this race.
Off-Road Adventures
Between 2007 and 2009, Alex Popow tried off-road racing. He competed in the AWA 4x4 Rally Championship. 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. He finished third at Watkins Glen with his teammate Ryan Dalziel. He ended the season in 20th place in the Daytona Prototype points.
In 2012, Alex got his first big win at the Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He also earned two second-place finishes and two fourth-place finishes. This helped him finish sixth in the drivers' championship that year.
In the 2013 Rolex Sports Car Series season, Alex and Ryan Dalziel had a great start. They achieved one win, two second places, and two third places. Even though they had some tough races later, Alex finished eighth in the drivers' championship. In 2013, Alex won the 'Jim Trueman' Award by a lot. His team, Starworks Motorsport, was named 'Sports Car Team of the Year' by SPEED Channel.
American Le Mans Series Wins
Alex Popow had a fantastic start in the American Le Mans Series. He won the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring race in his first try! He teamed up with Burt Frisselle and E. J. Viso in a CORE autosport car.
He then went on to win the next ALMS race at Long Beach with Ryan Dalziel. Four races into the 2012 season, Alex was leading the ALMS PC Drivers Championship. He had already earned four podium finishes, meaning he finished in the top three.
Other Racing Experiences
Alex Popow has also competed in other racing series:
- He finished third in the Latin America Challenge Formula 2000 Championship in 2010.
- He finished fourth in the same championship in 2011.
- In 2011, he took part in the Mexican Supercup Seat Leon Championship and finished second.
Additionally, Alex finished third in the 2012 Gulf 12 Hours race in Abu Dhabi. In August 2012, Alex made his NASCAR debut. He drove in the Nationwide Series for TriStar Motorsports at Watkins Glen International.
Alex's Personal Life
Alex Popow is married to Lu-Ann Acosta-Rubio. They have two children. In his free time, Alex enjoys doing extreme sports.
See also
In Spanish: Alex Popow para niños
