Sunday’s 64th-running of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway is definitely the longest, often one of the hottest, and probably one of the most important regular-season races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
Just the way Daniel Suárez likes it.
“I feel like I am one of the most physically fit drivers in the series,” said Suárez. “I want it to be hot, challenging. I want to be 100 percent for those final 100 miles especially if all the other drivers are hot or tired or worn out.”
Suárez will drink lots of liquids, eat well and get plenty of rest in the days approaching the race, but his preparation for 600 miles at the 1.5-mile quad-oval track began long ago with a rigorous workout regimen.
Suárez hopes his physical conditioning will be a key advantage late in the four-stage race that begins in sunlight at 6 p.m. ET and ends in late-evening darkness.
The Monterrey, Mexico native knows this Memorial Day weekend is about more than just racing. While not a citizen, Suárez has always honored the men and women of America who gave their lives for the country – a country that gave him his opportunity to live out his dreams as a NASCAR driver.
His victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June made Suárez just one of five drivers not born in the United States to win at Cup Series race.
“The Coca-Cola 600 is a very special race for many different reasons,” Suárez said. “We get to remember all the people that have paid the ultimate sacrifice and give us the freedoms we have in the most amazing country in the world. I come from a different country. To come here and enjoy these freedoms, to enjoy what I am able to do, it’s not by magic.”
He’d love nothing better than to win his second Cup Series race at the Charlotte track located just a few miles from his Trackhouse Racing team’s race shop.
Suárez arrives at Charlotte after finishing seventh in Sunday’s 39th-annual NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. His pit crew’s quick stop Friday helped him win his heat race Saturday and he led 55 laps in Sunday’s All-Star race.
His No. 99 will carry the red, white and blue Jockey paint scheme Sunday.
The Jockey partnership with Trackhouse began last year and was the first such team sponsorship in the 147-year history of the apparel brand. At the core of the partnership was the launch of the brand’s Made in America* Collection – an effort aimed at delivering premium quality product, support reshoring American manufacturing jobs, supporting families and farmers in local communities, and providing a more sustainable option for American consumers.
Fox will broadcast Sunday’s race at 6 p.m. EDT.
Trackhouse Racing PR
