BUY TICKETS: See the races in Atlanta
HAMPTON, Ga. -- Daniel Suarez has NASCAR national series experience at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but his notebook for navigating the 1.54-mile track in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is relatively bare.
A devoted student of the sport, Suarez religiously pores over race footage, especially at venues where his experience level could use a boost. But with his first premier-series start on an intermediate-sized track looming, Suarez has called in an expert tutor for an early season cram session.
Carl Edwards, a three-time Atlanta winner over the course of his career, was back in the garage area Friday, making the rounds ahead of Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Edwards' surprise decision to step away from racing in January turned the seat of Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 19 Toyota to Suarez, the 2016 XFINITY Series champion who's making the big leap to NASCAR's top division this year.
RELATED: Suarez takes over the No. 19 Toyota from Edwards
Edwards' return to the track isn't a first. The 37-year-old veteran also attended an offseason organizational test at Phoenix Raceway, lending a hand both to Suarez and the Gibbs-owned team. But the 25-year-old Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate says this weekend's visit stems as much from their personal connection as it does their working relationship.
"He's a great guy, a very good friend," Suarez said before Friday's first practice at the 1.54-mile track. "He just asked me, 'Hey, Daniel, do you want me to go over there? Do you think it would be helpful?' I said, 'Man, to have a driver like you who has a bunch of wins here in Atlanta, it's a big deal.' Yeah, he's going to be here to help me out, help the team out. It's a team he knows very well. It's going to be good to have him just to watch and to tell us what's going on from his view."
RELATED: Edwards attends Phoenix test to guide rookie Suarez
Suarez consulted with Edwards early in the 85-minute opening practice, moments after a 14-lap first run to prep for Sunday's 500-miler, the second race of the season. FOX Sports was quick to note in its broadcast that Edwards has some experience as a substitute teacher on his resume, something that he said may or may not come in handy.
"I didn't teach much Spanish and that's coming back to haunt me," joked Edwards, who also told FS1 that he had a hard time staying away from the site of so many successes, including his breakthrough Cup win. "But no, it's really neat to see a guy like Daniel, he's a self-made guy and he's doing a great job. He really cares. To help him a little bit is really cool."
Besides learning the nuances of the well-worn Georgia asphalt from a master, Suarez is also getting a preliminary feel for the ebbs and flows of the NASCAR schedule in the big leagues. His season-long workload has gone up, as have his obligations -- both at the track and away.
He's just one race in, after a 29th-place series debut in the season-opening Daytona 500, but he already has an early sense of what the year may hold.
"I think it's definitely more busy than the XFINITY Series, more going on," Suarez said. "You have more time in the race track than when you are home, but it's good. I really enjoy a lot to spend time in the race track with my team, working hard to become a better person, a better driver. So far, I'm really enjoying this a lot."