Nicholas Anthony Sanchez (born June 10, 2001) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro for Big Machine Racing. He is the 2022 ARCA Menards Series champion.
Sanchez began racing at the age of twelve in go-karts at his home track of Homestead-Miami Speedway. [1]
Sanchez tried out for NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program and was accepted into it, and as a result, was given a ride with Rev Racing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series as well as the then-NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2019. He made his debut in both races of the doubleheader at South Boston Speedway [2] and then made another start later in the year at New Hampshire. In only his second start in the series, Sanchez would win the pole for the second South Boston race.
He was also the recipient of the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award in 2019. [3]
When ARCA and NASCAR merged, the East Series and the ARCA Menards Series were brought together and rebranded in 2020, and Sanchez continued to compete for Rev Racing in the renamed ARCA Menards Series East. Sanchez became a full-time driver for the team in 2020, replacing Rubén García Jr. in the team's No. 6 car.
In 2021, Sanchez moved from the East Series to the main ARCA Menards Series, competing full-time in Rev's No. 2 car. (It was initially going to be the No. 6.) [4] The team also switched from Toyota to Chevrolet that year. Sanchez got his first career ARCA win at Kansas in the season finale, while Ty Gibbs won the championship for that season.
On October 19, 2021, it was announced that Sanchez would be driving part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for B. J. McLeod Motorsports while continuing to drive full-time for Rev Racing in the main ARCA Menards Series. [5] He would first pilot the No. 5 Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway, and at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the No. 99. He would later depart the team afterwards to drive a partial schedule the No. 48 for Big Machine Racing starting at Bristol Motor Speedway. Sanchez would win three ARCA races (Talladega, Kansas, & Michigan) and the Championship in 2022 by 14 points over Daniel Dye. [6]
On November 4, 2022, Rev Racing announced its expansion into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, fielding the No. 2 Chevrolet for Sanchez in 2023. [7] [8] His consistency made him the only rookie to make the playoffs in 2023. In addition, he won the NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors in the Truck Series. Following the Talladega fall race, Sanchez got into a fight with Matt Crafton in the garage area as a result of an on-track incident when both of their trucks made contact with each other, triggering a multi-truck pileup. Sanchez, with blood running down his face, yelled "I'm going to fucking kill you at Homestead. You fucked with the wrong guy motherfucker. It's on now." [9] NASCAR fined Sanchez $5,000 and Crafton $25,000 for the fight. In addition, Sanchez's father Rene was suspended for two races for his involvement. [10] Sanchez was eliminated at the conclusion of the Round of 8 at Homestead. [11]
Following the purchase of Rev Racing’s technical partner Kyle Busch Motorsports by Spire Motorsports, it was announced that Sanchez would continue racing the No. 2 Silverado for Rev Racing for the 2024 season. [12]
Sanchez began the 2024 season with his first career win at Daytona. [13] Three months later, he scored his second win at Charlotte. [14] In mid-September, it was announced that Sanchez would return to the Xfinity Series and Big Machine Racing to drive their No. 48 car full-time, beginning for the following 2025 season. [15]
Sanchez's father immigrated to the United States from Cuba on the Mariel boatlift when he was eight years old. [1]
When Sanchez began competing in NASCAR, he moved from Miami to Cornelius, North Carolina, which is located in the Charlotte metropolitan area where the majority of NASCAR teams are based. [16]
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| NASCAR Xfinity Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | NXSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2022 | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | 5 | Chevy | DAY | CAL | LVS | PHO 26 | ATL | COA | RCH | MAR | TAL | DOV | DAR | TEX | 35th | 156 | [17] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 99 | CLT 28 | PIR | NSH | ROA | ATL | NHA | POC | IRC | MCH | GLN | DAY | DAR | KAN | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Big Machine Racing | 48 | Chevy | BRI 29 | TEX 11 | TAL | ROV | LVS 12 | HOM 25 | MAR 7 | PHO 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Big Machine Racing | 48 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | COA | PHO | LVS | HOM | MAR | DAR | BRI | CAR | TAL | TEX | CLT | NSH | MXC | POC | ATL | CSC | SON | DOV | IND | IOW | GLN | DAY | PIR | GTW | BRI | KAN | ROV | LVS | TAL | MAR | PHO | -* | -* | |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | NCTC | Pts | Ref | |||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Rev Racing | 2 | Chevy | DAY 26 | LVS 30 | ATL 2 | COA 7 | TEX 16* | BRD 18 | MAR 11 | KAN 6 | DAR 11 | NWS 30 | CLT 9 | GTW 8 | NSH 3 | MOH 9 | POC 19 | RCH 8 | IRP 11 | MLW 24 | KAN 8* | BRI 9 | TAL 7* | HOM 17 | PHO 10 | 6th | 2258 | [18] | |||||||||||||||
| 2024 | DAY 1* | ATL 5 | LVS 17 | BRI 17 | COA 18 | MAR 4 | TEX 3 | KAN 6 | DAR 2 | NWS 7 | CLT 1 | GTW 3 | NSH 13 | POC 13 | IRP 10 | RCH 30 | MLW 4 | BRI 5 | KAN 12 | TAL 22 | HOM 13 | MAR 5 | PHO 4 | 5th | 2280 | [19] | ||||||||||||||||||
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Menards Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | AMSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2020 | Rev Racing | 6 | Toyota | DAY | PHO 6 | TAL | POC | IRP | KEN | IOW | KAN | TOL | TOL | MCH | DRC | GTW 14 | L44 | TOL 10 | BRI 11 | WIN | MEM | ISF | KAN | 28th | 135 | [20] |
| 2021 | 2 | Chevy | DAY 31 | PHO 21 | TAL 3 | KAN 9 | TOL 3 | CLT 5 | MOH 5 | POC 4 | ELK 6 | BLN 6 | IOW 5 | WIN 14 | GLN 8 | MCH 3 | ISF | MLW 12 | DSF | BRI 4 | SLM 17 | KAN 1 | 3rd | 692 | [21] | |
| 2022 | DAY 20 | PHO 7 | TAL 1 | KAN 1 | CLT 8 | IOW 7 | BLN 6 | ELK 11 | MOH 11 | POC 2 | IRP 7 | MCH 1* | GLN 2 | ISF 5 | MLW 5 | DSF 5 | KAN 2 | BRI 12 | SLM 6 | TOL 6 | 1st | 970 | [22] | |||
| ARCA Menards Series East results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | AMSEC | Pts | Ref |
| 2019 | Rev Racing | 2 | Toyota | NSM | BRI | SBO 14 | SBO 8 | MEM | NHA | IOW | GLN | BRI | GTW | NHA 8 | DOV | 21st | 103 | [23] |
| 2020 | 6 | NSM 4 | TOL 5 | DOV 16 | TOL 10 | BRI 11 | FIF 9 | 3rd | 309 | [24] | ||||||||
| 2021 | 2 | Chevy | NSM | FIF | NSV | DOV | SNM | IOW 5 | MLW 12 | BRI 4 | 13th | 161 | [25] | |||||
| 2022 | NSM | FIF | DOV | NSV | IOW 7 | MLW 5 | BRI 12 | 11th | 108 | [26] | ||||||||
| ARCA Menards Series West results | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2021 | Rev Racing | 2 | Chevy | PHO 21 | SON | IRW | CNS | IRW | PIR | LVS | AAS | PHO 4 | 29th | 63 | [27] | ||
| 2022 | PHO 7 | IRW | KCR | PIR | SON | IRW | EVG | PIR | AAS | LVS | PHO | 51st | 37 | [28] | |||
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