Miguel Paludo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miguel Paludo |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paludo in 2012
|
|||||||
| Born | July 26, 1983 Nova Prata, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
||||||
| Achievements | 2008, 2009, 2017, 2020 Porsche GT3 Cup Brasil Champion | ||||||
| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 11 races run over 4 years | |||||||
| 2023 position | 45th | ||||||
| Best finish | 45th (2023) | ||||||
| First race | 2012 Sargento 200 (Road America) | ||||||
| Last race | 2023 Pennzoil 150 (Indianapolis G.P.) | ||||||
|
|||||||
| NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||
| 73 races run over 4 years | |||||||
| 2013 position | 9th | ||||||
| Best finish | 9th (2013) | ||||||
| First race | 2010 O'Reilly 200 (Bristol) | ||||||
| Last race | 2013 Ford EcoBoost 200 (Homestead) | ||||||
|
|||||||
| Statistics current as of December 27, 2023. | |||||||
Miguel Paludo (born July 26, 1983) is a professional racing driver from Brazil. He currently competes full-time in the Porsche GT3 Carrera Cup Series. Miguel used to race in NASCAR full-time, driving in the Camping World Truck Series. He has won four championships in the Porsche GT3 Cup Series, showing his skill in sports car racing.
Contents
Miguel Paludo's Racing Journey
Starting Out in Racing
Miguel Paludo started racing go karts when he was 14 years old. In 2004, he moved up to touring car racing in Brazil. He raced for his family's team alongside his brother, Daniel. Miguel competed for several years in different Brazilian racing series. He was very successful in the Porsche GT3 Cup Brasil, winning championships in 2008 and 2009.
Racing in NASCAR
Miguel began his NASCAR career in 2010. He first raced in the K&N Pro Series East. That year, he finished fifteenth overall, with his best race finish being fourth place. He also made his first appearances in the Camping World Truck Series. He raced in four events and finished ninth in his very first Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. This track is known for being tough for new drivers!
In 2011, Miguel raced full-time in the Camping World Truck Series. His best finish was third place. He ended the season in seventeenth place in the points standings. He also finished fourth in the Rookie-of-the-Year competition.
After the 2011 season, Miguel joined Turner Scott Motorsports. He drove the No. 32 truck with teammates James Buescher and Nelson Piquet Jr., who was also a Brazilian driver. Miguel started the 2012 season with a bang! He won the pole position at Daytona International Speedway. This meant he started the race in first place. He was the first Brazilian to win a pole in one of NASCAR's top series. He and Nelson Piquet Jr. even made history as the first all-Brazilian front row in NASCAR.
However, during that Daytona race, Miguel had a big crash. His truck lost control and hit the wall very hard. The truck spun and even flew through the air, catching fire. Luckily, Miguel was able to walk away from the crash without any injuries. His best finish that season was fifth place at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He finished 10th in the Truck Series points, which was his best result so far.
In 2012, Miguel also raced in two NASCAR Nationwide Series races. He competed at Road America and Watkins Glen International. At Watkins Glen, he earned his best finish in that series, coming in 13th.
Miguel returned to the No. 32 Chevrolet Silverado for the 2013 Truck Series season. At Talladega Superspeedway in October, he was involved in another big accident. His truck flipped over on the last lap of the race.
After the 2013 season, Miguel left Turner Scott Motorsports. He couldn't find a sponsor to race in NASCAR in 2014.
In 2021, Miguel made a return to NASCAR. He raced in the Xfinity Series (which used to be called Nationwide). He drove the No. 8 car for JR Motorsports in three road course races. This opportunity came through BRANDT, his sponsor in Brazil. BRANDT also sponsored Justin Allgaier, who was Miguel's teammate at Turner Scott Motorsports years before. Miguel returned to JR Motorsports for the same three races in 2022 and 2023.
Sports Car Racing Career
After his time in NASCAR in 2014, Miguel moved back to Brazil in 2015. He started racing in the Porsche GT3 Cup Series again. He has been very successful, winning championships in both the Porsche Endurance Series and the Carrera Cup. This gives him a total of four titles in the series!
Miguel Paludo's Personal Life
Miguel Paludo was born in Nova Prata, a city in southern Brazil. He now lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, in the United States. He is married to Patricia, and they have a son named Oliver.
Advocating for Diabetes Awareness
In 2004, when Miguel was 21, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Since then, he has become a strong supporter of diabetes awareness and care. He has worked with the American Diabetes Association. In 2012, he became a Blue Circle Champion for the International Diabetes Federation. This is a global group of diabetes associations. Miguel is the first person from South America to represent this organization.
In 2012, Miguel and his wife Patricia learned that their son, Oliver, also had type 1 diabetes at just eight months old. To raise awareness, Miguel raced a special No. 32 "Unite for Diabetes/Duroline" truck at Texas Motor Speedway. The truck featured the blue circle, which is the international symbol for diabetes. It also had a picture of Miguel and his son on the back. Later that year, Miguel used a special World Diabetes Day paint scheme on his truck at two more races.
