Daniel Suárez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Daniel Suárez |
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Suárez at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2025
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| Born | Daniel Alejandro Suárez Garza January 7, 1992 Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 168 lb (76 kg) | ||||||
| Achievements | Only Mexican driver to win in the NASCAR Cup Series Only international champion in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (2016) 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion 2017 & 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race Open Winner |
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| Awards | 2010 NASCAR Corona Series Rookie of the Year 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year |
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 303 races run over 9 years | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 99 (Trackhouse Racing) | ||||||
| 2024 position | 12th | ||||||
| Best finish | 10th (2022) | ||||||
| First race | 2017 Daytona 500 (Daytona) | ||||||
| Last race | 2020 FanShield 500 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| First win | 2022 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Sonoma) | ||||||
| Last win | 2024 Ambetter Health 400 (Atlanta) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 89 races run over 8 years | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 9 (JR Motorsports) | ||||||
| 2024 position | 103rd | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2016) | ||||||
| First race | 2014 ToyotaCare 250 (Richmond) | ||||||
| Last race | 2025 The Chilango 150 (Mexico City) | ||||||
| First win | 2016 Menards 250 (Michigan) | ||||||
| Last win | 2025 The Chilango 150 (Mexico City) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||
| 28 races run over 4 years | |||||||
| 2021 position | 107th | ||||||
| Best finish | 81st (2016) | ||||||
| First race | 2014 Fred's 250 (Talladega) | ||||||
| Last race | 2021 Pinty's Truck Race on Dirt (Bristol Dirt) | ||||||
| First win | 2016 Lucas Oil 150 (Phoenix) | ||||||
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| NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series career | |||||||
| 77 races run over 7 years | |||||||
| 2014 position | 6th | ||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (2013) | ||||||
| First race | 2011 Regia 200 (Monterrey) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 King Taco La Batalla en El coliseo (LA Coliseum) | ||||||
| First win | 2012 Mexico Nocturna 200 (Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez) | ||||||
| Last win | 2024 King Taco La Batalla en El coliseo (LA Coliseum) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of June 15, 2025. | |||||||
Daniel Alejandro Suárez Garza (born January 7, 1992) is a professional stock car racing driver from Mexico. He races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Trackhouse Racing. He drives the No. 99 Chevrolet ZL1. Daniel also races part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the No. 9 Chevrolet SS for JR Motorsports.
Daniel Suárez made history as the first driver born outside the United States to win a major NASCAR National Series championship. He achieved this when he became the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Contents
Racing Career Highlights
Starting Out in Racing
Daniel Suárez grew up in Monterrey, Mexico. He started his racing journey in karting in 2002. By 2007, he had won a championship in karting. In 2008, he moved to the Mini-Stocks in Mexico. He became the youngest driver to win a race in that series.
In 2010, Daniel joined the NASCAR Mexico Series. He was named the Rookie of the Year. He also raced in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, which is a development series. In 2012, he raced in both series. He won two races in Mexico and finished third in the championship.
In 2013, Daniel raced full-time in the K&N Pro Series East. He earned his first win in that series at Columbus Motor Speedway. He finished third in the championship standings. He was also part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program, which helps talented drivers from different backgrounds.
Joining Joe Gibbs Racing
In 2014, Daniel Suárez got a big chance. He was chosen by Joe Gibbs Racing to make his debut in the Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series). He raced part-time for them.
In 2015, Daniel began racing full-time in the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also raced part-time in the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He won three pole positions in the Xfinity Series. A pole position means he started the race from the very front. He was named the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year. He finished fifth in the overall points standings.
Becoming an Xfinity Series Champion
The year 2016 was a huge one for Daniel. He won his first Xfinity Series race at Michigan. He passed Kyle Busch on the very last lap! This made him the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race. He won another Xfinity Series race at Dover.
In November, Daniel won his first Truck Series race at Phoenix. Then, in the final Xfinity Series race of the season at Homestead, he raced incredibly well. He took the lead with only two laps left and won the championship! This made Daniel Suárez the first driver born outside the U.S. to win a NASCAR national series championship.
Moving to the Cup Series
In 2017, Daniel moved up to the top level of NASCAR, the NASCAR Cup Series. He drove the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He had some good finishes, including a third-place finish at Watkins Glen. He also won a special race called the Monster Energy Open to get into the All-Star Race.
In 2018, Daniel earned his first Cup Series pole position at Pocono. He also had his best finish in a Cup Series race, coming in second place. However, he struggled to be consistent throughout the season. At the end of 2018, it was announced that he would not return to Joe Gibbs Racing.
New Teams and Challenges
In 2019, Daniel Suárez joined Stewart–Haas Racing to drive the No. 41 Ford. He showed some improvement and had a few top-five finishes. However, he did not make it into the playoffs that year. He left the team at the end of the season.
In 2020, Daniel raced for Gaunt Brothers Racing in the No. 96 Toyota. This was a challenging year for him. He faced mechanical problems and struggled to get good results. His best finishes were two 18th-place results. He announced that he would leave the team at the end of the season.
Finding a Home at Trackhouse Racing
In 2021, Daniel Suárez joined a brand new team called Trackhouse Racing. He drove the No. 99 Chevrolet. Many people saw this as his big chance to restart his career. The team quickly became known for being competitive. Daniel earned Trackhouse's first top-five finish at the Bristol dirt race. He also had several other top-ten finishes that season.
First Cup Series Win and Beyond
Daniel continued with Trackhouse Racing in 2022. At Sonoma Raceway, Daniel Suárez made history again. He won the 2022 Toyota/Save Mart 350, becoming the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race! He finished the season in a career-best 10th place in the points standings.
In 2023, Daniel started the season strong with a seventh-place finish at the 2023 Daytona 500. He missed the playoffs that year and finished 19th in points.
On February 3, 2024, Daniel won a NASCAR Mexico Series race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Later that month, on February 25, 2024, he earned his second NASCAR Cup Series win. He won the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in a very close finish. He was only 0.003 seconds ahead of the second-place car!
Daniel started the 2025 season with a 13th-place finish in the 2025 Daytona 500. He had a second-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. On July 1, 2025, it was announced that Daniel and Trackhouse Racing would go their separate ways after the current season. In the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series, Daniel drove the No. 9 car for JR Motorsports to victory in Mexico City.
Personal Life
Daniel Suárez lives in Huntersville, North Carolina. In 2022, he got engaged to Julia Piquet. Julia is the daughter of Nelson Piquet, a famous Formula 1 champion. Daniel and Julia got married on July 30, 2024, in Brazil. Daniel is also related to another Formula 1 champion, Max Verstappen, who is married to Julia's sister, Kelly Piquet.
On April 29, 2024, Daniel shared that he had passed his U.S. Citizenship Exam. On June 18, 2024, he officially became a dual citizen of both Mexico and the United States.
Images for kids
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Suárez at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2025
See also
In Spanish: Daniel Suárez (piloto) para niños
