In 2021 it was the NASCAR Cup Series' first dirt race in years and the Monterrey, Mexico native had no idea what to expect. His Trackhouse Racing crew visited Smoky Mountain Speedway in Marysville, Tenn. a few days before the Bristol race for him to drive a street-stock on the .4-mile dirt track. 

With that vast experience, he arrived at Bristol to run in both the Truck Series and the NASCAR Cup Series dirt race. He finished 17th in the truck race but put on a show when he climbed into his Cup car. Driving from his 18th starting spot, Suárez finished fourth in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2. Both the best stage finishes at the time for his then first year Trackhouse team.

He led 58 laps and finished fourth as he battled for victory against drivers who grew up racing on dirt. 

It was an amazing accomplishment for someone with next to no dirt racing experience and there was certainly no way he could back up that performance in 2022 when NASCAR held its second dirt race. 

But he did. 

After starting 21st last year, he took over the lead at the beginning of the second stage. As rain began falling, Suárez led the next 64 laps before he was passed for the lead by Christopher Bell and finished Stage 2 in third. Rain halted the race for about an hour during the break between the second and third stages. When the weather cleared, Suárez restarted 24th. A second red flag for rain stopped the race for 16 minutes with 28 laps to go. The race restarted and saw Suárez drive from 17th to 12th. 

So, what’s he going to do for an encore Sunday night with the Cup Series holds its third race on the Bristol dirt? 

Tune in to Fox on Sunday at 7 p.m. EDT to find out and you will see Suárez piloting the No. 99 Jockey Made in America Collection Chevrolet. 

The Jockey partnership with Trackhouse began last year and was the first such team sponsorship in the 147-year history of the apparel brand. At the core of the partnership was the launch of the brand’s Made in America Collection – an effort aimed at delivering premium quality product, support reshoring American manufacturing jobs, supporting families and farmers in local communities, and providing a more sustainable option for American consumers.  

Jockey will return to the No. 99 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway race on Oct. 29. Jockey will appear two more times in 2023 as the primary sponsor of Suarez's Trackhouse Racing teammate Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway on April 30 and at Michigan Speedway in Brooklyn on Aug. 6.

2023 Standings

Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 99 Jockey Chevrolet

Why are you good at Bristol despite having no dirt experience?

"I really don't know to be honest. I can say my team has given me a great car in both races and we have had a really good strategy. I am having fun racing on dirt. We'll see what happens Sunday but we are going to Bristol with plans to win the race and have a heck of a party afterwards."

How is your season so far?

"We have had three disappointing finishes in the last three weeks, but if you look closer we were running in the top five when things happened. If we keep running that fast we are going to be fine. It's a long season and you are going to have some bad luck, but that will turn. We just have to keep running like we have been running."

Suárez Notes

• Suárez, 31, became the first driver from Mexico (Monterrey) to win in the NASCAR Cup Series on June 12, 2022 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.
• He became the fifth different driver all-time not from the United States to win a NASCAR Cup Series race; joining Marcos Ambrose (Australia), Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Earl Ross (Canada) and Mario Andretti (Italy).
• Suárez drives for the third-year team Trackhouse Racing – a team owned by former racer Justin Marks and partner Pitbull.
• Trackhouse Racing won three races in 2022 and placed both Suárez and teammate Ross Chastain in the 2022 playoffs. Suárez finished a career-best 10th in points.
• Suárez, came to America to race. He did not speak English when he arrived in Buffalo, New York.
• He is the only Spanish-speaking driver in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Suárez became the first Latin American, as well as the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate, to win a NASCAR national series title when he won the 2016 Xfinity Series championship.
• In 2016, he became the first Mexican driver to win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, claiming three victories at Michigan, Dover and the championship finale at Homestead-Miami.
• He was the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year - the first Mexican driver to win the award.
• In 2013, Suárez finished third in the ARCA Menards Series East final championship standings, the highest finish for an international driver in series history.
• Suárez and fiancé Julia Piquet were engaged in November 2022.
• Suárez received the National Series Driver Award during the NASCAR Diversity Awards in Los Angeles in February.
• Suárez is a fan of the Mexican Soccer team Tigres UANL - he grew up playing soccer.