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January 16, 2024

Daniel Suárez to compete in NASCAR Mexico Series race at LA Coliseum


Daniel Suárez is heading back to his racing roots to begin the 2024 season.

Suárez, the NASCAR Cup Series veteran, will return to the NASCAR Mexico Series for the division’s upcoming exhibition race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, claiming the event’s lone spot for a special guest driver. Suárez will drive the entry provided by Jimmy Morales, with crew chief José Blasco-Figueroa calling the shots.

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Now heading into his eighth year at NASCAR’s highest level, Suárez stormed onto the stock-car racing scene through his five full-time seasons in the Mexico Series, collecting 10 wins, 26 top fives and 39 top 10s in 76 starts while earning a runner-up finish in points in 2013.

Suárez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, went on to win the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship with Joe Gibbs Racing before ascending to the Cup Series full-time in 2017. Driving the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, the 31-year-old became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2022 at Sonoma Raceway, joining a list of just four other drivers born outside the United States to win at the Cup level: Australia’s Marcos Ambrose; Colombia’s Juan Pablo Montoya; Italian-born Mario Andretti; and Canadian Earl Ross.

This year marks the third time the Busch Light Clash will be held at the LA Coliseum, with the green flag set to fly Sunday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. ET (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). However, 2024 marks the first appearance of the NASCAR Mexico Series at the storied arena, with 21 other competitors set to race ahead of the Cup Series’ first exhibition of the new season.

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Defending and two-time Mexico Series champion Salvador de Alba Jr. will compete for glory at the Coliseum alongside four-time series champion Rubén García Jr. and Andrés Pérez de Lara, both of whom advanced to the Championship 4 a season ago.

Max Gutiérrez, who was just shy of advancing to the final round in 2023, has made appearances across the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Mexico Series, and returns to the Mexico Series for the event.

In addition to Suárez’s return comes a renewal of sponsorship. Quaker State announced an extension with Suárez and Trackhouse Racing on Tuesday. Quaker State will serve as a primary sponsor for Suárez and the No. 99 team at Richmond Raceway (March 31), Darlington Raceway (May 12) and the playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Sept. 8). It will also serve as the primary for Suárez’s entry in the Mexico Series event at the LA Coliseum.

Daniel Suárez Mexico Series car
Trackhouse Racing

The King Taco la Batalla en El Coliseo is set to begin at 5 p.m. ET from the LA Memorial Coliseum.

MORE: Visit the NASCAR Mexico Series website

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