It will be three races in four days for Daniel Suárez this week as the 31-year-old Monterrey, Mexico native makes his first Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) appearance Thursday in Connecticut before returning to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Saturday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, then driving the No. 99 Jockey Chevrolet in Sunday’s Pocono Cup Series race.
“There is no better place to be than in the driver’s seat racing,” said Suárez who will race at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway in the ESPN-televised SRX race at 9 p.m. EDT Thursday.
SRX held its inaugural season in 2021, pitting legendary drivers from across NASCAR, IndyCar and other racing disciplines against each other on some of America’s most iconic short tracks. Suárez, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Hailie Deegan, Brad Keselowski, Marco Andretti, Ken Schrader, Paul Tracy, Tony Kanaan, Bobby Labonte, Kenny Wallace, Ryan Preece, and Greg Biffle are expected to race Thursday night.
The day after the SRX race he’ll drive to Pocono where he’ll practice and qualify the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. It marks his first race in Kaulig equipment and his second appearance in the Xfinity Series in 2023 – he also raced at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway on June 10 driving the No. 07 Chevrolet for Bobby Dotter Racing.
Suárez has a long history in the Xfinity Series. He 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. That year 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.
His Cup duties begin Saturday when he practices and qualifies his No. 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet that will carry the Jockey livery.
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 – proudly grown and crafted right here in the USA. Designed with high quality American-grown cotton, these durable staples help to support the communities Americans call home.
Suárez arrives at Pocono after finishing 16th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. The finish left him one point behind the final cutoff position for the 2023 playoffs. With just six races remaining the regular season, each race is important as Suárez seeks a victory or a good points finish to garner a transfer position.
He has high hopes at Pocono, especially after last year’s third-place finish on the 2.5-mile triangle. He qualified on the pole in 2018 at Pocono.
USA Network will televise Sunday’s race at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
What are your thoughts going into the next six races with a playoff spot on the line?
“I’m optimistic. We have had good speed at most of the races recently. Sometimes we struggle a little bit with execution, but we are in a good spot right now. We know what we have to do and I’m confident we will do it.”
Is there pressure?
“This isn’t our first time being in this position. It’s fine and its part of racing. We can control only what we can control. We can’t control the points situation, we can only control one race at a time.There is always pressure in racing. That’s what makes it fun and why we do it.”
Do you have any races in the next six races circled as one you are most looking forward to?
“The next one. It’s always the next one.”
What are your thoughts on a busy week ahead?
“I like it. I haven’t run SRX yet so its going to be a new experience. I haven’t been to Stafford Speedway either. I have heard a lot about it, but this will be my first time. Xfinity is going to be fun as well. The Kaulig Chevrolet is really good and we are going to Pocono with high hopes.”
Trackhouse Racing PR
