Nur B. Ali (Urdu: نو ر علی ) (born October 12, 1974 in Karachi, Pakistan) is a Pakistani American race car driver. He is the first Pakistani to become a professional racing driver,[citation needed] and a former two-time Southwest Formula Mazda Series Champion. Ali also drove in the A1 Grand Prix series for Team Pakistan.
Early life
Nur was interested in racing since he was four years old when he lived in Germany. He moved to Texas with his family when he was 8 years old and he currently resides in Dallas suburb of Irving.
Nur graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from American University in Washington, D.C. in 1998. He was Vice President of Washington, D.C. Federation of College Republicans in 1995 and interned for Congressman Joe Barton, R-Texas, in Washington, D.C. in 1995.[citation needed]
Racing career
After graduating from college, Ali pursued a career racing by going to Skip Barber Racing School. When he completed the course and picked up his racing license, Ali took part in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge Southern Race Series and becoming the first racing driver from Pakistan. In 2000, Ali and his brother set up Ali Motorsports, so that he could compete in the Southwest Formula Mazda Series which he won in 2001 and 2002. Then in 2006, he joined racing series A1 Grand Prix where he raced for A1 Team Pakistan for a season. In late 2007, Nur decided to switch to stock car racing, and after a successful test for Cunningham Motorsports, Ali drove in the 2008 Daytona ARCA 200. In 2009, he drove again for Cunningham Motorsports. After joining the ARCA RE/MAX Series, Texas Governor Rick Perry presented Ali with an official commendation, and the Mayor of the city of Southlake, Texas, proclaimed January 25, 2008 as Nur Ali Day.
In 2012, Ali made his debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, driving for Rick Ware Racing in two events late in the season,[1] but wrecked 3 cars in his first career start at Kansas Speedway and then was not cleared to race in his next attempt at Texas Motor Speedway.[2]
He currently competes in the Global RallyCross Championship Lites series.[3]
Racing record
| Season | Series | Team | Races | wins | Poles | Fast laps | Points | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ARCA RE/MAX Series | DGM Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 112th |
| 2009 | ARCA RE/MAX Series | Cunningham Motorsports | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 220 | 97th |
| 2008 | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 18th |
| 2008 | ARCA RE/MAX Series | Cunningham Motorsports | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 420 | 63rd |
| 2008 | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 108 | 3rd |
| 2007 | Star Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 31st |
| 2007 | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 86 | 6th |
| 2006–07 | A1 Grand Prix | A1 Team Pakistan | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22nd (1) |
| 2006 | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 8th |
| 2006 | Star Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 32nd |
| 2006 | Star Mazda Expert Series | Ali Motorsports | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 5th |
| 2004 | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 17th |
| 2003 | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 193 | 4th |
| 2002 (Fall) | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 1st |
| 2002 | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 240 | 3rd |
| 2001 (Fall) | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 138 | 1st |
| 2001 | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 192 | 7th |
| 2000 | Southwest Formula Mazda | Ali Motorsports | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 143 | 5th |
- (1) = Team standings.
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Nationwide Series
| NASCAR Nationwide 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 | NNSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2012 | Rick Ware Racing | 41 | Chevy | DAY | PHO | LVS | BRI | CAL | TEX | RCH | TAL | DAR | IOW | CLT | DOV | MCH | ROA | KEN | DAY | NHA | CHI | IND | IOW | GLN | CGV | BRI | ATL | RCH | CHI | KEN | DOV | CLT | KAN 33 |
TEX | 92nd | 11 | [4] | ||
| 70 | PHO QL† |
HOM | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † - Qualified for Timmy Hill | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ARCA Racing Series
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Racing 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 | ARSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2008 | Cunningham Motorsports | 45 | Dodge | DAY 23 |
SLM | IOW | KAN | CAR | KEN | TOL | POC | MCH | CAY | KEN | BLN | POC | NSH | ISF | DSF | CHI | SLM | NJE | TAL | TOL 35 |
63rd | 420 | [5] |
| 2009 | DAY 38 |
SLM | 97th | 220 | [6] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Derrike Cope, Inc. | 14 | Dodge | CAR 21 |
TAL | KEN | TOL | POC | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | MCH 35 |
MFD | IOW | KEN | BLN | POC | ISF | CHI | TOL | DSF | NJE | SLM | KAN | CAR | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | DGM Racing | 10 | Chevy | DAY | PBE | SLM | TEX 22 |
TAL | TOL | POC | MCH | IOW | MFD | POC | BLN | NJE | ISF | CHI | DSF | TOL | SLM | KAN | CAR | 112th | 120 | [7] | |
Complete A1 Grand Prix results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| A1 Grand Prix results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | DC | Points | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–07 | A1 Team Pakistan | NED SPR 20 |
NED FEA Ret |
CZE SPR 20 |
CZE FEA Ret |
CHN SPR 21 |
CHN FEA Ret |
MYS SPR 18 |
MYS FEA 21 |
IDN SPR 20 |
IDN FEA 15 |
NZL SPR 18 |
NZL FEA 18 |
AUS SPR 20 |
AUS FEA Ret |
RSA SPR 18 |
RSA FEA 10 |
MEX SPR 15 |
MEX FEA 21 |
CHN SPR 20 |
CHN FEA 18 |
GBR SPR Ret |
GBR SPR 17 |
22nd | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
Complete Global RallyCross Championship results
GRC Lites
| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Lites | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | AF Racing | Lites Ford Fiesta | FTA 6 |
DAY1 6 |
DAY2 9 |
MCAS 9 |
DET1 10 |
DET2 4 |
DC 7 |
LA1 6 |
LA2 7 |
BAR1 9 |
BAR2 7 |
LV 13 |
7th | 226 |
| 2016 | Rhys Millen Racing | Lites Ford Fiesta | PHO1 | PHO2 | DAL 12 |
DAY1 | DAY2 | MCAS1 | MCAS2† | DC |
AC |
SEA |
LA1 |
LA2 |
22nd | 3 |
†Race cancelled.
References
- ^ Adamczyk, Jay (October 10, 2012). "Nur Ali to make two starts for Rick Ware". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
- ^ "NASCAR doesn't approve Nur Ali to race at Texas". The Associated Press. USA Today. October 31, 2012. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
- ^ "Ali Makes Progress at MCAS New River Despite the Lack of Results". Nur Ali Motorsports. July 8, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-07-09. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^ "Nur Ali – 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ^ "Nur Ali – 2008 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ^ "Nur Ali – 2009 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ^ "Nur Ali – 2010 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- Racing background
- Ali's ARCA racing test drive
- Day named after Nur Ali in Southlake[permanent dead link]
- North Texan groundbreaking race car driver
- Another racing chapter begins for Pakistani driver
- Pakistan-born driver aims for NASCAR
- Daytona: Nur Ali race report
External links
- Official website
- Nur Ali driver statistics at Racing-Reference