Daniel Suarez becomes first Mexican-born driver to win in NASCAR Cup Series
On Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series unloaded in Sonoma, California. The 1.99-mile road course of Sonoma Raceway helped make NASCAR history.
Kyle Larson had the dominant car early in the race. However, the team elected to stay out in stage 1 to take a stage win. That buried him deep in the field and he struggled to return to the top of the board, opening the door for another team.
In the closing laps of stage two, Chase Elliott pitted from the race lead. The team failed to tighten a lug and Elliott was forced to backup in his box. However, Elliott was handed a penalty as the crew tightened the lug while Elliott wasn’t fully in the box. Yet another dominate car was sent to the back.
At the start of stage three, Chris Buescher and Daniel Suarez ran side by side for the race lead. Buescher ran deep on the brakes and locked up into turn four, Suarez completed the pass.
From that point on, Daniel Suarez took control of the race. The 30-year-old driver went on to grab his first career victory.
After the win, the entire Trackhouse Racing team stood on the pit lane wall. Suarez packed his car in front of them and did a massive burnout.
As he did that, a pinata in the shape of a taco sat on his car. Suarez climbed from his car, grabbed the pinata and punched a hole through it.
Sonoma Race Results: June 12, 2022 (NASCAR Cup Series)
Daniel Suarez comments after his first career win
“It’s crazy, I have so many thoughts in my head right now,” Daniel Suarez stated.
“It’s been rough though. A rough journey in the Cup Series. These guys believed in me, Trackhouse Racing. Everyone that helped me get to this point.”
“My family, they never gave up on me,” Suarez fought back tears. “A lot of people did but they didn’t.”
“Very happy that we were able to make it work.”
Suarez made the move to Trackhouse Racing at the start of the 2021 season.
“The energy, they believed in me since day one. They pull all the resources to make it happen.”
“Fuck yeah,” Suarez says over national tv as he points to a section of the grandstands that were filled by ‘his Amigos’, a die-hard fan club.
“I’m sorry for what I just say.”
Suarez concluded, “This is the first one of many.”
Non-American winners in NASCAR Cup Series
There’s been only five drivers from outside the United States to win at the Cup level:
Daniel Suarez
Mexico
Mario Andretti
Italy
Earl Ross
Canada
Juan Pablo Montoya
Columbia
Marcos Ambrose
Australia
Suarez had run 195 races in the NASCAR Cup Series. He’s finished in the top-5 twelve times.
