RELATED: Charlotte race results | Updated series standings
CONCORD, N.C. -- At the end of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Daniel Suarez climbed out of his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota like a seasoned pro. With his feet planted on the concrete and his helmet off, he immediately found himself in the midst of a media frenzy, everyone wanting a quote or two from the Mexican-born driver.
No, Suarez did not win the Charlotte race, but his fourth-place finish (best among XFINITY Series regulars) was in many ways, the equivalent of a trip to Victory Lane. Yet, Suarez remains hungry for that elusive victory.
"We are getting closer," Suarez said, coated thickly in his signature accent.
In his first full-time season in a NASCAR national series, Suarez has seen plenty of progress in himself. His 2015 stats are on the caliber of the veterans with a total of seven top fives, 14 top 10s and three poles. He is also leading Darrell Wallace Jr. in the race for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the series. The only thing missing from his resume is that coveted win.
"I have great teammates with a lot of experience and they have been super helpful to me," Suarez explained. "I think that has been all the difference."
In addition to Suarez, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones, Matt Kenseth, Boris Said and Kenny Habul are among the notable drivers to spend significant seat time in JGR cars in the XFINITY Series. The 23-year-old not only credits JGR for the recipe for his success, but puts hard work into the equation as well.
"I never had to work that hard to be running in the top 10, top five," Suarez said, referencing his past racing career in Mexico with great success in the NASCAR Mexico Series. "The competition is so much more difficult here. You have to work hard. A good car is not enough. You have to make the car as perfect as possible."
And Suarez looks forward to take his almost "perfect" Toyota to Kansas for the second time this year for Saturday's Kansas Lottery 300 (4 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM). Suarez raced at Kansas Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series back in May and earned a sixth-place result after starting 10th.
"I am happy to go back to Kansas. I am happy to go back to these race tracks for the second time. (I'm) learning information, that is ... helpful. The second time is always better."
The second time proved to be better at Charlotte where Suarez improved on a sixth-place result in the spring XFINITY race to last weekend's fourth-place finish. And that "better" at Kansas could possibly come in the form of a win for the rookie, who is now ranked seventh in the NASCAR XFINITY Series standings.