In an extraordinary year in which he obtained his US citizenship and then got married, Mexican driver Daniel Suárez is now in the fight for the Nascar Series championship after managing to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
Daniel Suárez, 32 years old and originally from Monterrey, is one of the drivers who still participate in the Nascar Cup Series playoffs. The so-called round of 12 will begin with this Sunday’s race in Kansas City (3 p.m. Eastern/12 p.m. Pacific/TV: USA).
In his fourth year as part of the Trackhouse Racing team, Suarez was able to advance from a difficult round of 16 despite seriously struggling last weekend in Bristol, Tennessee, where he started in 35th place and finished in 31st position.
Second place for Daniel Suárez in Atlanta and then suffered in Bristol
With a slow car, Suárez was barely able to hold on to the last available spot via points for the next round of the Cup Series. This was possible thanks to In the first of three races of the round of 16 Suárez was second in Atlanta, obtaining enough cushion. Then he finished 13th. at the Watkins Glen track.
“We were just slow,” Suárez said of the difficult stop in Bristol. After Sunday’s race in Kansas City, it will be run on October 6 at the traditional track in Talladega, Alabama, and on October 13 the Roval 400 in Concord, North Carolina.
When talking about what he expects in the three dates that make up the round of 12, the driver of the No. 99 Chevy was positive.
“In Kansas, I actually feel good. We’ve raced very well there in the past. At Talladega, as everyone knows, anything can happen. And the Roval always brings a smile to my face,” Suárez shared.
Suárez’s challenge in the Nascar Cup Series playoffs
Unlike other sports, in the Nascar main category playoffs all drivers continue to participate, although only 16 qualified for the fight for the championship. Suárez, by surviving in Bristol, avoided being one of the four eliminated last weekend and made it among the 12 finalists.
After the next three races, only eight drivers will advance. The round of 8 will be made up of three other races. And finally there will be four candidates who will compete for the title in the final race on November 10 at the Avondale racetrack, Arizona.
The 12 drivers still in the fight are Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Daniel Suárez, Alex Bowman and Chase Briscoe. Everyone will start from scratch this Sunday, since the points are erased with the start of each round.
Daniel Suárez had his best season in 2022 by finishing in tenth position. That year he made history by winning in Sonoma and becoming the first Mexican to have a checkered flag. in the Cup Series. Six years earlier he had been crowned champion of the Nascar Xfinity Series.
This year, Suárez also occupies 10th place in the points table by virtue of a pinpoint win in Atlanta earlier in the season, in addition to having three races in the “top 5” and seven in the “top 10.”
Daniel Suárez, citizenship certificate and marriage certificate
From modest origins in his native Monterrey, Suárez has worked hard to get to where he is. And this 2024 has brought many fruits. On June 18, he was sworn in as a United States citizen in an emotional ceremony that took place in Charlotte. A month later he married Julia Piquet in Brazil.the daughter of legendary Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet.
Now, Daniel Suárez will seek to round off the possible best year of his life, fighting with Nascar’s elite drivers in the decisive races of the season.
Keep reading:
– In one of the closest finishes in history, Daniel Suárez won in Atlanta by three thousandths
– Daniel Suárez’s campaign to ask not to leave dogs locked in cars on hot days
– The day Daniel Suárez made history as the first Mexican to win a Nascar race