It’s about 380 miles between No. 99 Freeway Insurance driver Daniel Suárez’s hometown of Monterrey, Mexico and Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas where the NASCAR Cup Series races on Sunday.
For Suárez, that distance has been a long journey and one that he’d like to help others make in the future.
Suárez became the sport’s first Mexican Cup Series winner last year when he dominated at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June.
The 2016 Xfinity Series champion sees himself as possibly helping fellow countrymen as well as others make the journey to NASCAR in the future.
But maybe not just yet.
“I try to help as much as I can every day. But I’m not looking for the talent, right. I’m just helping whoever comes and asks me for help. I wish I had somebody like that when I was coming here,” said Suárez who didn’t speak English when he arrived in America to begin his driving career.
“I didn’t have anyone that I was able to ask for advice or help in my early days in the United States. I’m always very, very open to help. We’ll see what happens in the future, but for now, my main focus is my career. Win more races and championships and continue to grow. But yeah, I enjoy seeing more diversity in the sport. I’m a big part of that and I’ve been able to help a handful of drivers – at least 10 drivers – come in from different countries. So that’s great and I’ll continue to do that.”
It’s not just race car drivers Suárez is interested in supporting. He likes giving back to his fans who have supported him over the years. He and Freeway Insurance hold an autograph session about a half dozen times a year whenever Suárez is racing its No. 99 paint scheme.
He’ll hold another at 3 p.m. Saturday at 1135 N. Interstate Highway 35 Suite 150 in Austin after he qualifies for Sunday’s race on the 20-turn, 3.41-mile permanent road course.
He’s come a long way since leaving Monterrey.
He’s at the pinnacle of his racing career arriving at COTA 10th in points after suffering his first DNF at Atlanta on Sunday after his car was damaged in a multicar wreck as he raced in the top-10.
But it’s on to COTA now where he some unfinished business.
Suárez led all 15 laps and earned his first stage victory last year only to see a flat tire and power steering issues end his bid for victory.
His teammate Ross Chastain won the race giving Trackhouse Racing its first victory. Chastain and Suárez will be joined by 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen this weekend driving the PROJECT91 Chevrolet.
Cup Series teams will join in an extended practice Friday to prepare for the road course debut of a new aerodynamic rules package aimed to enhance the racing product.
The changes include a two-inch rear spoiler (a reduction from the current four-inch blade on the rear deck lid) in addition to several tweaks underneath the car. Those include the removal of three diffuser strakes, engine panel strakes and trimming the diffuser’s outer fencing.
Fox will broadcast Sunday’s race at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Are you looking forward to COTA?
“Yes, I feel like that track owes me one. We had a very fast car there last year and I felt like we were going to win the race if we didn’t have any problems. Unfortunately, we did but Ross was able to get the win for Trackhouse. I was glad to see that, but I really thought we were going to be in victory lane.”
What has allowed Trackhouse to stay near the front over the last year since that last win?
“That’s a very good question. I think it’s a combination of many things, starting with our people. We have great people; great engineers, good pit crews. I think that if we look back to one year ago…one year ago we were a team that was very promising. I feel like right now, Trackhouse is a reality. I think we have shown that we’re here to stay and to be competitive. Last year was a very good year and this year, so far, has gone in a very good way. We have to continue to work; not feel comfortable and not stay still because everyone is working very hard. I feel like that has been one of the keys of Trackhouse to continue to evolve and continue to move forward.”
Are you excited to have Kimi Räikkönen join the team this weekend?
“Of course. Kimi was a lot of fun last year when he raced with us in Watkins Glen. You can certainly see his talent. He picked up NASCAR racing so quickly last year. It’s going to be interesting to see how he does this year on a track where he has won in Formula One. I think he will be very quick.”
Suárez Notes
- Suárez, 31, became the first driver from Mexico (Monterrey) to win in the NASCAR Cup Series on June 12, 2022 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.
- He became the fifth different driver all-time not from the United States to win a NASCAR Cup Series race; joining Marcos Ambrose (Australia), Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Earl Ross (Canada) and Mario Andretti (Italy).
- Suárez drives for the third-year team Trackhouse Racing – a team owned by former racer Justin Marks and partner Pitbull.
- Trackhouse Racing won three races in 2022 and placed both Suárez and teammate Ross Chastain in the 2022 playoffs. Suárez finished a career-best 10th in points.
- Suárez, came to America to race. He did not speak English when he arrived in Buffalo, New York.
- He is the only Spanish-speaking driver in the NASCAR Cup Series.
- Suárez became the first Latin American, as well as the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate, to win a NASCAR national series title when he won the 2016 Xfinity Series championship.
- In 2016, he became the first Mexican driver to win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, claiming three victories at Michigan, Dover and the championship finale at Homestead-Miami.
- He was the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year – the first Mexican driver to win the award.
- In 2013, Suárez finished third in the ARCA Menards Series East final championship standings, the highest finish for an international driver in series history.
- Suárez and fiancé Julia Piquet were engaged in November 2022.
- Suárez received the National Series Driver Award during the NASCAR Diversity Awards in Los Angeles in February.
- Suárez is a fan of the Mexican Soccer team Tigres UANL – he grew up playing soccer.
Trackhouse Racing PR
