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HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Less than two months after becoming the first foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR national title, Daniel Suarez can add another accomplishment to his fast-growing resume.
The 25-year-old will become the first Mexican-born competitor to race full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the sanctioning body’s top level, when he gets on track next month at Daytona International Speedway for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Suarez was officially introduced Jan. 11 as the driver of the organization’s No. 19 Toyota for the 2017 season. He replaces veteran Carl Edwards, who is stepping down from full-time competition to pursue other interests.
The Monterrey, Mexico native is a product of two of NASCAR’s base programs aimed at finding and cultivating talent while providing opportunities for advancement.
While competing in the NASCAR Mexico Series (2011-2014), Suarez was tabbed for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program in 2013-14, which spotlights minority as well as female competitors. He was also a member of the NASCAR Next Class — aimed at preparing youngsters for potential careers in NASCAR — from ’11-13.
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“We started this dream 10 years ago with NASCAR, and right now to be in this position, to be in this opportunity is just something amazing for me and for everyone that has been helping me, of course,” Suarez said.
Suarez was a 10-time winner in the NASCAR Mexico Series, and won three times in the K&N Pro Series East as he began to make the transition from Mexico to the U.S., making his national series debut in 2014.
By 2015, JGR signed him to full-time status in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and he was running a partial slate in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He responded by winning three times in 2016 and capturing the XFINITY title.
“We’re very proud that it validates our diversity plan in a significant way,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said the morning after Suarez captured the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “All kinds of conversations on what we’ve said through the years is these things take time to find the kind of talent that can actually compete at a high level on the biggest stages, and he’s done that.”
Suarez joins a growing list of drivers that have come up through the NASCAR Next and/or Drive for Diversity programs to reach its top level. Among them: Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates) became the first D4D and NASCAR Next graduate to win a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race this past season. NASCAR Next grad Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports) qualified for the series’ Chase in 2016 and captured Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
This season, former JGR teammate and NASCAR Next grad Erik Jones will race fulltime in the Monster Energy Cup Series for Furniture Row Racing.
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On the Drive For Diversity front, crew chief Dave Rogers understands what a victory by Suarez at the top level would mean.
“We’re going to go to every race, we’re not going to have expectations to win, but we’re going to go to the track knowing that we can if we do everything right and the right situations come up, we can put ourselves in Victory Lane,” Suarez’s crew chief said.
“The neat thing about this is history. Very seldom in life do you get to sit down and say ‘Hey, I’m part of history right now’ … This is a living, historic event. This is a really big deal. So every opportunity is an opportunity for history.”
Suarez became the eighth foreign-born race winner in NASCAR’s national series with his victory this past June at Michigan international Speedway.
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He will have a veteran crew and a talented group of teammates, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin, at his disposal.
All that remains for him is to slide behind the wheel and fire the engine.
“When you are with the right team, you know that the opportunity will come, and it will come at the right time,” Suarez said.
That time, it seems, is now.