Alex Garcia Set Sights On Mexico

After months of preparation, the wait is finally over for NASCAR Busch Series Rookie Alex Garcia when the third installment of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) season takes center stage from Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this Sunday.

Earlier this month, Transnet Racing announced plans to run in a limited NASCAR Busch Series schedule this season before advancing towards a championship effort next year. The first of the team’s planned 13 events kicks off in style for Garcia in the third annual Telcel Motorola Mexico 200 presented by Banamex.

“This is an exciting week not only for me but for my team and sponsors, ” said an ecstatic Garcia. “Our initial intent was to start with the season opener at Daytona, but in an effort to make sure that our team is competitive from the start, we elected to start with this weekend’s race. ”

He continued, “This is a huge move for Transnet Racing. We’ve enjoyed our prior success in the open wheel ranks, but now you see some of those teams and drivers making the switch to NASCAR and we felt it was in the best interest of our organization to do the same. The amount of support that everyone is offering is phenomenal, I really feel like we have found ourselves a good home. ”

With 43 cars entered for Sunday’s event, Garcia is locked into the field awarding him his inaugural debut in the NASCAR Busch Series. “We didn’t know what we were up against as far as the entry list. It’s a big relief off of everyone to know that we’ll be in the starting field if there are no additional entries, but we want our No. 98 Dixien-OmniSource Corporation Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS near the front on Sunday and that’s why we’ll spend a lot of practice focusing on qualifying and race setups. Even with some pressure off, there’s still a lot of work to be done. ”

Hailing from the open wheel club, Garcia has plenty of road-racing experience, but no prior starts at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Still, the concept is the same giving Garcia some early race momentum. “Road racing is tough, no doubt about that. There’s a lot to it. Luckily, I’ve been fortunate enough to have several years of experience. Even though I’ve never competed at the track in Mexico, the knowledge and background of road racing is definitely a plus. ”

Goals are simple for Garcia and his rookie team this weekend. “We want to finish all 80 laps and learn, ” he explained. “That’s the biggest thing for us to do this year, finish the races. The more we’re around in the end, the better off this team will be. We’ll learn a lot this year and I’m sure we’ll have some bumps along the way, but this is our learning year. It will help propel this team to bigger and better things in 2008. ”

Dixien and OmniSource Corporation will sponsor the team’s effort this season. While Dixien is a long time supporter of Garcia and Transnet Racing, OmniSource Corporation is a new addition to the stable bringing in a new wave of enthusiasm to the operation.

“We’re very appreciative of our sponsors, ” added Garcia, a native of Venezuela. “Our sponsors are backing us 100 percent and that’s important. Without them this season would not be possible. Everyone at Transnet Racing is proud to have them aboard. ”

The Telcel Motorola Mexico 200 presented by Banamex (80 laps-201.44 miles) is the third of 35 events on the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series schedule. First round of practice begins Friday March 2 with an hour and 15 minute (2:00-3:15pm EST) session planned.

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