Daniel Suárez knows it’s important to celebrate NASCAR’s 75th anniversary and Darlington (S.C.) Raceway’s “Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR” on Saturday and Sunday, but he points out there’s also work to be done for his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team.
Suárez arrives in Darlington after a 15th-place finish last weekend at Kansas Speedway where he finished fifth in Stage 1, but suffered front end damage then couldn’t get a caution in the final laps that would have enabled him to use a fresh set of tires while most of the field would have raced on used tires.
He is in 16th place in the playoff race, just four points above the cutoff for the final transfer position. A win will certainly secure his second consecutive year racing in the playoffs, but scoring a good finish will be another step toward a berth in the playoffs that begin Sept. 3 when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Darlington for the Southern 500.
“We are going to Darlington this weekend with only one thought in mind and that’s to win,” said the 31-year-old Suárez. “We will certainly enjoy the Throwback celebration and all the activities, but Sunday afternoon is where we must shine. It isn’t about points yet; we are focused on winning.”
Darlington Raceway is one of the most historic tracks on the NASCAR circuit, known for its unique egg-shaped layout and challenging turns. The track has been hosting NASCAR races since 1950 and is known for producing some of the most exciting and memorable moments in NASCAR history.
There is no more fitting place to hold the sport’s ninth annual “Throwback Weekend” when the industry honors the sport’s 75-year history and nearly all the Cup Series teams will sport throwback paint schemes.
Suárez’s No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet will carry a vintage Quaker State livery raced by NASCAR great Ricky Rudd in 1988 during the weekend. That year, Rudd joined King Racing owned by NHRA drag racing driver Kenny Bernstein and led by Larry McReynolds who served as crew chief for the No. 26 Buick Regal with Quaker State sponsorship.
Rudd won at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International that season and finished 11th in the standings.
Rudd won 23 of his 906 Cup races over a 33-year period including the 1997 Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rudd’s final Cup race came at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in 2007.
Quaker State joined Trackhouse Racing in March as a primary sponsor of Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet at the April 2 race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway and will serve as primary sponsor at the July 9 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Quaker State is also a Trackhouse team technical partner.
FS1 will broadcast the Goodyear 400 at 3 p.m. EDT on May 14.
Suárez Going Late Model Racing at North Wilkesboro
Tested at Nashville Fairgrounds Tuesday
Suarez testing his Jockey Chevrolet Tuesday at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
To prepare for a chance to win $1 million at the May 21 NASCAR All-Star Race held for the first time at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway, Daniel Suárez will race in the ASA STARS National Tour event on May 16 and in the May 17 CARS Tour Late Model Stock race on the .625-mile oval.
“I have never been to North Wilkesboro nor really spent much time driving a late model,” said Suárez who became the first Mexican driver to win a Cup Series race when he dominated at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June.
“Every little bit helps. Plus, it is going to be a lot of fun going short track racing. Getting familiar with the track will help our program a lot.”
Suárez will drive the No. 99 Jockey Chevrolet in the ASA race for Rackley W.A.R. of Nashville, Tennessee, and in the CARS race for R and S Race Cars from South Boston, Virginia.
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.
The CARS Tour debuted in 2015 and features Late Model Stock Cars and Pro Late Model divisions. At the end of the 2022 season, an ownership group consisting of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Trackhouse Entertainment Group founder and owner Justin Marks purchased the series.
Suárez has qualified for the 200-lap NASCAR All-Star Race on May 21.
FS1 will televise the All-Star Race while the subscription service Flo Racing will broadcast the late model events.
Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 99 Quaker State Chevrolet
How do you feel going to Darlington?
“We have had speed in the car this season, but for a variety of reasons we haven’t gotten the finish we deserve. It’s going to come here soon. Hopefully this weekend in Darlington.”
What do you think about your Darlington paint scheme?
“I watched a video of Ricky’s career the other day and it’s obvious that he was a great driver and one tough man. We hope this paint scheme reminds the older generation of fans of happy times watching Ricky Rudd race and teaches the younger generation about his accomplishments.”
2023 Standings
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.
