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Daniel Suarez debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series with Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2017 season. He had been racing with the same team in the Xfinity Series for two full-time seasons prior to this.
However, before his rise in NASCAR, Suarez exhibited a keen interest in racing from a young age. He began his karting journey in 2003 and quickly displayed promising talent, winning the Mexican national karting championship in 2004 and 2008. The following year, he marked a significant milestone by debuting in the NASCAR Mexico Mini-Stocks series as the youngest driver
Within two years he was able to move up to the NASCAR Mexico Series, where he drove for Telcel Racing. His excellence on the track helped him grab the Rookie of The Year Award. In 2011, along with the Mexico Series, he took part in 7 K&N Pro Series East races, bringing in three top-10 finishes.
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He continued his racing trajectory in junior series, which ultimately paved the way for his advancement to the higher levels of NASCAR. In 2014, Joe Gibbs Racing recognized his potential and signed him to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in the 2015 season. Prior to that, he made his Xfinity Series debut at Richmond in 2014, driving for JGR and securing a 19th-place finish.
While Suarez could not win any races in his first full-time season with the team, he proved himself in 2016. Gathering three wins with extremely consistent finishes, he won the Xfinity Series Championship that year, which earned him a coveted seat in the pinnacle of NASCAR, the Cup Series.
Carl Edwards's retirement left the #19 Toyota in JGR's garage without a pilot. Suarez was then signed to get behind the wheel of the car in 2017. In his first full-time Cup Series season, the Mexican-American hit 12 top-10 finishes, including a best result of third at Watkins Glen International.
He has since become an integral part of the sport. Racing for Trackhouse Racing since the 2021 season, he secured his second Cup Series victory earlier this year at Atlanta, securing a playoff berth. However, he is currently facing challenges as he heads into the Kansas race, starting from the rear of the field.
Daniel Suarez not thinking about points heading into Kansas
Ahead of the race in Kansas, Suarez is (-6) in points, in the detention zone of the playoffs. While most of the drivers have been focusing on getting the maximum points to stay in competition for the championship, the #99 Chevrolet pilot has other plans.
The 32-year-old recently stated that he is more focused on racing and believes that the car would perform if it has the potential.
"I, personally, don’t think points right now,” Suarez said. "It’s too early. I’m gonna just go out there and race, maximize the potential for the race car. If that’s good enough to win the race, great. If that’s good enough for a top five, good. So we just have to go out there and just focus one race at a time. Talladega is very unpredictable. Here is unpredictable. We’re gonna be running very close to the wall. There’s a lot of opportunities in this round and now we have to try to maximize that."
Despite a competitive racing career, Suarez has faced challenges in the 2024 Cup Series season. He has managed only seven top-10 finishes so far and has struggled in several races, finishing outside the top 20.
