In NASCAR, most race winners have come from within the United States, but that's slowly been changing. Over the past few seasons, the sport has seen a surge of international talent at its highest level, not just entering but winning races.The 2022 Cup race at Watkins Glen set a series record with drivers from seven different countries on the starting grid. Of the 11 NASCAR Cup races won by drivers born outside the U.S., nearly half have been in just the last five years.Across all three national levels - Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks - drivers from seven countries have taken the checkered flag. Canada leads with 13 wins across those divisions, but other nations have left their mark, with 43 total victories by foreign-born drivers. Notably, some international stars like Canadian road-course ace Ron Fellows (six national wins) and Stewart Friesen (four wins) never claimed a Cup Series victory despite excelling in lower divisions.This weekend's Go Bowling at The Glen added another big chapter to the story. Shane van Gisbergen dominated the race, leading 38 of 90 laps, including the last 17 and taking the win by more than 11 seconds over Christopher Bell. The win serves as the perfect lead-in to a look at the five most successful foreign-born NASCAR Cup Series winners in history.Five winningest foreign-born NASCAR Cup Series drivers#5 Mario Andretti (Italy) - 1 Cup winMario Andretti before the 1970 California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway. Source: ImagnMario Andretti immigrated to the United States in 1955 from Istria (now part of Croatia). Best known for his legendary all-around motorsports career, he has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, four IndyCar titles and the 1978 F1 championship.In NASCAR, Andretti's only Cup Series win came in the 1967 Daytona 500. In his brief stock car career, he had three top-ten finishes, but never managed to win another race.#4 Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) - 2 Cup winsJuan Pablo Montoya before the 2012 Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600. Source: GettyJuan Pablo Montoya arrived in NASCAR with wins in the Indianapolis 500 (2000 and 2015), the Monaco Grand Prix (2003), and the 24 Hours of Daytona (2007, 2008, 2013).In his 256-race Cup career, Montoya won twice: at Sonoma in 2007 and Watkins Glen in 2010. He finished eighth in the 2009 Cup Series - tied for the best result ever for a non-American driver.#3 Marcos Ambrose (Australia) - 2 Cup winsMarcos Ambrose before the 2011 Cup Series Daytona 500. Source: GettyMarcos Ambrose, a two-time Supercars champion, became a road-course specialist in NASCAR. He transitioned in the mid-2000s and quickly made his mark in the Xfinity Series, becoming the winningest foreign-born driver in the division with five wins.Ambrose found success at Watkins Glen with both his Cup victories coming there in 2011 and 2012.#2 Daniel Suárez (Mexico) – 2 Cup winsDaniel Suarez celebrates after winning the NASCAR Chilango 150. Source: GettyDaniel Suárez is the only foreign-born driver on the list to win a NASCAR national series championship. The Monterrey native won the 2016 Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, becoming the first non-American to win at that level.Currently a Trackhouse Racing driver, Suarez has also won in all three national series: Trucks, Xfinity, and Cup. His victories in the Cup have come at Sonoma (2022) and Atlanta (2024), which led him to two playoff appearances.#1 Shane van Gisbergen (New Zealand) – 5 Cup winsShane Van Gisbergen after winning the Go Bowling at The Glen. Source: ImagnIn just over a season, Shane van Gisbergen has gone from debut curiosity to one of the most dominant road-course drivers in NASCAR history. The three-time Australian Supercars champion burst onto the Cup scene in 2023, winning on debut at the Chicago Street Course, something no driver had done in over 60 years.Since then, SVG has stacked victories at a rate never seen from a foreign-born rookie. This season alone, he's won at Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen, missing only COTA. With five Cup wins in under two seasons, SVG has already surpassed the long-standing foreign-born record - and the season isn’t over yet.