Daniel Suárez is currently one of NASCAR’s top drivers, and he has multiple victories, positioning himself as an international racing icon. His professional achievements are remarkable: he is the first Mexico-born driver to win a NASCAR Series race and the first foreign-born driver to claim a NASCAR National Series championship.
Daniel Suárez is the first Mexican-born driver to win a Nascar race and the first foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR National Series championship.
In an exclusive interview with HOLA! AMERICAS, Suárez, who races for the Trackhouse Racing Team in a Chevrolet, shares his journey in this high-stakes sport that demands both physical and mental preparation. The Monterrey native also unveiled a new custom Quaker State design celebrating his Mexican heritage. He also discussed the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at the Quaker State 400, held at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he clinched a victory earlier this year.
A unique Mexican design
Adding another dream to his achievements, Daniel Suárez showcased his bold creative skills off the race track by designing and customizing the paint scheme for his Chevrolet Camaro No. 99 at the 2024 Quaker State 400. Supported by his visionary team, the 32-year-old driver infused his beloved Mexican heritage into his car’s design. This unique motivation boosts his competitive spirit, helping him and his culture stand out in NASCAR.
Happy on and off the track
On a personal note, Daniel also shared details about his achievements off the track this year, including his recent marriage to Julia Piquet and fulfilling another great aspiration: becoming a U.S. citizen.
Daniel, you have become one of the most important figures in the automotive world for Mexicans and internationally. What does it mean to you to be such a prominent figure in a competition like NASCAR?
I sincerely feel very proud and happy to be in this position, representing Latin America in the great sport of NASCAR. It’s a great honor to be a Mexican in the top category of NASCAR. It has been a long journey, but I am very happy and proud to be in this position. I’m sure you’re aware of the news for next year, racing in Mexico City, which will also be a dream come true. And overall, I am very happy to be able to represent Mexicans and all Latinos in NASCAR.
Can you tell us a little about the immediate impressions you remember from the beginning of your career?
Yes, I obviously grew up in Monterrey, Mexico. At that time, NASCAR was not very well-known in Mexico, and my idea was to race go-karts and have fun that way. I never thought I would become a professional driver. I don’t come from a racing family or from wealth. So, it has been a long journey. I have learned a lot from the world of racing in Mexico and, of course, here in the United States. But honestly, I have enjoyed this journey immensely and hope to continue bringing many smiles and good memories, many victories to all my people in Mexico and Latin America.
You have become a top athlete, how do you handle this moment in your professional life?
Honestly, I always try to be the same person. Obviously, a lot has changed in my life over the last 10 years, but I am still the same person, a lover of cars, animals, family, and competitiveness. I always try to remember who I am and where I come from. They say if you forget where you come from, you lose sight of where you are going.
So, I think that’s very important. And as I mentioned, honestly, NASCAR has long been recognized as a very American sport, and being able to come to NASCAR, to the United States, and break that barrier for all Latinos and Mexicans has been something very special for me.
Daniel Suárez married Julia Piquet last July
You have become the first Mexican to reach the highest levels in NASCAR and the first foreign champion. How important are these achievements to you?
Yes, well… being the first Mexican to win a NASCAR race and a championship in national races is very special to me. However, I still have the best part of my career ahead of me, and I want to continue working and pushing to keep writing stories, which at the end of the day is the most important thing for me: to have fun, compete, and try to do the best race I can. The rest, the results, and so forth, will take care of themselves.
Mexico has always been a central hub at every level: sports, artists, singers, and so on. What does it mean for you to represent your country?
Well, obviously each sport, each profession is a bit different. I feel that something we Mexicans have is that we are very tenacious and very passionate. I sincerely feel very proud and very fortunate to be Mexican, to have my roots, and to be able to say that I was born and grew up in Mexico and moved to the United States without speaking English.
It’s a great pride for me, as I mentioned, to be able to represent my country and all of Latin America in the world of NASCAR.
What is the most important thing, psychologically speaking, when you’re in the car?
The mental part is just as important as the physical one. Obviously, there’s a lot of responsibility, a lot of pressure, and we race very often. That is very important, not only in NASCAR but in all sports in general, in high-performance sports.
On a personal level, you are also very happy since you got married recently, right?
Yes, I am very fortunate to have a great wife like Julia, who supports me and loves me a lot. Yes, we got married just under two months ago. It has been a great journey with her, she is a great person who always brings out the best in me, both on and off the track.
