Ruben Pardo is a Mexican

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 racecar driver. He currently drives the Family Dollar

Family Dollar

Family Dollar is a regional chain of variety stores in the United States. It opened in 1959 and operates approximately 6,617 stores in 44 states and the District of Columbia. It is headquartered in Matthews, North Carolina....

 Dodge

Dodge

Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....

 for Fitz Motorsports in the NASCAR Busch East Series, and part-time in the Nationwide Series. He is the brother of fellow NASCAR driver Carlos Pardo, who died in 2009.

Pardo began racing in motorcycles, eventually competing in the 600cc Superbikes Series. After three consecutive championships, he started driving stock cars in the Dodge Neon Series

NASCAR Mexico T4 Series

The NASCAR Mexico T4 Series is a semi-professional four-cylinder racing series in Mexico. It is promoted and sanctioned by NASCAR Mexico, the Mexico City-based NASCAR office....

, finishing tenth in points for his rookie season. After graduating from college with a degree in Marketing, Pardo moved to the NASCAR Mexico Series, finishing second in championship points behind his brother. He began the 2005 season with two wins when he suffered injuries in a jet ski accident. In his first race back, a pair of fire extinguishers exploded beneath his driving seast, breaking both of his legs. After nearly having his foot amputated, Pardo was able to return to racing later that year, picking up an additional win.

In 2006, Pardo moved to the Busch Seast Series, where he was named Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Hispanic driver to win a NASCAR-affiliated award. His win in the season-ending race at Lime Rock Park

Lime Rock Park

Lime Rock Park is a natural-terrain motorsport road racing venue located in Lime Rock, Connecticut, United States, a hamlet in the village of Lakeville, Connecticut, in the state’s northwest corner...

 made him the first minority to win a Busch East race. In addition to his full-time run in NASCAR Busch East Series this year, he has run a part-time schedule in the Busch Series. He made his debut in the #44 Family Dollar Dodge at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez

Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a race track in Mexico City, Mexico, named for the famous racing drivers Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez. The circuit got its name shortly after it opened when Ricardo Rodríguez died in practice for the non-Championship 1962 Mexican Grand Prix...

, starting 24th and finishing 41st due to handling problems. His next race came at Nashville Superspeedway

Nashville Superspeedway

Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee , United States, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. On August 2, 2011, it was announced that Nashville Superspeedway will not host any NASCAR events in 2012. It is a concrete oval track 1 1/3 miles in...

, where a vibration forced him out after three laps. He will drive a part-time schedule for Fitz in 2008 in the Nationwide Series.