Daniel Suárez

Daniel Suárez

Suárez at Road America in 2016
Born Daniel Alejandro Suárez Garza
(1992-01-07) January 7, 1992
Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight 166 lb (75 kg)
Awards 2010 NASCAR Corona Series Rookie of the Year
2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year
2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion
2017 Monster Energy Open Winner
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career
22 races run over 1 year
Car no., team No. 19 (Joe Gibbs Racing)
First race 2017 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Last race 2017 Pure Michigan 400 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 8 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
78 races run over 4 years
Car no., team No. 18/20 (Joe Gibbs Racing)
2016 position 1st
Best finish 1st (2016)
First race 2014 ToyotaCare 250 (Richmond)
Last race 2017 Subway Firecracker 250 (Daytona)
First win 2016 Menards 250 (Michigan)
Last win 2016 Ford EcoBoost 300 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles
3 50 6
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
26 races run over 3 years
2016 position 81st
Best finish 81st (2016)
First race 2014 Fred's 250 (Talladega)
Last race 2016 Ford EcoBoost 200 (Homestead)
First win 2016 Lucas Oil 150 (Phoenix)
Wins Top tens Poles
1 17 1
NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series career
71 races run over 4 years
2014 position 6th
Best finish 2nd (2013)
First race 2011 Regia 200 (Monterrey)
Last race 2014 Ficrea 240 (Puebla)
First win 2012 Mexico Nocturna 200 (Mexico City)
Last win 2014 México 240 (Mexico City)
Wins Top tens Poles
10 31 13
Statistics current as of August 6, 2017.

Daniel Alejandro Suárez Garza (born January 7, 1992) is a Mexican professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, and part-time in the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 18 and No. 20 Camrys for JGR. Previously he drove in the NASCAR Toyota Series in Mexico for Telcel Racing, and the K&N Pro Series East for Rev Racing as a member of the Drive for Diversity program. He is the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.

Racing career

Early career

A native of Monterrey in Nuevo León, Suárez began his racing career in karting in 2002. In 2007, he won the class championship. In 2008, he moved to the preliminary category of NASCAR Mexico, Mini-Stocks, where he became the youngest driver to win a race in the series.[1] He moved to the NASCAR Mexico Series in 2010, driving for Telcel Racing; despite running only a partial season, he won the series' Rookie of the Year title.[2] In 2011, Suárez participated in the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway, finishing in 11th, the highest-finishing Mexican driver in the event. In the 2011 NASCAR Mexico Series, he finished the season with three poles and a podium, finishing ninth in the standings.[2] At the same time, he participated in 7 races of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.[2]

Suarez (right) at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2015

In 2012, he alternated his time between the Mexico Series and K&N Pro Series East. In Mexico, he led the points for most of the season and entered the final race of the year in contention for the championship, but wound up finishing third, having scored two victories.[2] In the K&N Pro Series East, he finished in sixteenth place in the overall standings, achieving 3 top-10s in nine races.

Suárez competed for the full season in the K&N Pro Series East in 2013, driving a Toyota for Rev Racing. He scored his first victory in the series at Columbus Motor Speedway,[2] also recorded six top-5 and nine top-ten finishes on his way to third in the championship standings. Meanwhile, he finished runner-up of the NASCAR Toyota Series achieved 3 wins and five podium finishes in the season.[2] Suárez was also named to NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program during the 2013 season.[3]

In 2014, Suárez returned to the K&N East and Toyota Series, winning the first two K&N East and first Toyota Series races of the season.[4] In April, he was selected by Joe Gibbs Racing to make his debut in the Nationwide Series at Richmond International Raceway, driving the team's No. 20 Toyota;[2] he finished 19th.[5]

Suárez in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing car at Road America in 2015

2015

In August 2014, it was announced that Suárez would compete full-time in the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series in the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, and that he would also run a partial schedule in the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in the No. 51 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports.[6]

On July 4, 2015, Suárez won the pole for the Xfinity Series Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona, his first career pole in the series.[7] Suarez would go on to win 2 more poles at Iowa and Kentucky, and won his first ARCA pole at Kansas. Suarez went on to win the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie of the year title edging Darrell Wallace Jr. for the award by one single top ten finish in statistics.

2016

In 2016, Suárez's car number in the Xfinity Series was switched to No. 19.[8] He won his first Xfinity Series race at Michigan, by passing Kyle Busch on the last lap, becoming the first Mexican-born driver to win in a NASCAR national touring series.[9] Suárez won his second Xfinity Series race during the Round of 12 in the Chase at Dover in October. With this win, he would advance to the Round of 8.[10] In November, Suárez won his first Camping World Truck Series race at Phoenix, taking the lead late in the race after William Byron lost an engine.[11] In the season-ending Xfinity Series race at Homestead, Suárez dominated the race and took the lead on the final restart with 2 laps to go to score his first Xfinity Series championship. Suárez became the first foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR national series championship.[12]

2017

Suárez during qualifying for the 2017 Toyota/Save Mart 350

After the retirement of Carl Edwards, Suárez was tapped to drive the No. 19 ARRIS / Stanley Tools Toyota for JGR. He was paired up with Dave Rogers.[13] In his first Advance Auto Parts Clash he finished 8th after starting 16th. Suárez scored a pair of 7th place finishes at Phoenix and Auto Club. Shortly before the Martinsville race, Suarez's crew chief, Rogers, took an indefinite leave of absence. He was replaced by Scott Graves, who was Suárez's crew chief when he won the 2016 Xfinity Series championship.[14] In May, Suárez won the final stage of the Monster Energy Open, which allowed him to advance into the All-Star Race.[15] In June, Suárez opened the month by finishing a career-best sixth at Dover.[16] Later in the month, Suárez joined MDM Motorsports at Sonoma Raceway for the K&N Pro Series West race, his and MDM's debuts in the series.[17] After qualifying 7th, he finished 11th.[18] Later in the summer, Suárez earned a series of four consecutive finishes of seventh or better, including a third-place finish at Watkins Glen and a Stage 2 winner over stage leader Martin Truex Jr..[19]

In media

In 2017, Suárez voiced the character Danny Swervez in the Pixar film Cars 3.[20]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Monster Energy Cup Series

Daytona 500
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
2017 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 29

Xfinity Series

Camping World Truck Series

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

ARCA Racing Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

References

  1. ↑ "Daniel Suárez" (in Spanish). Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 2014-04-27. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Movin' on up: Suarez tapped by Joe Gibbs Racing for NNS debut". Fox Sports. April 22, 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  3. ↑ Bates, Karen Grisby (February 15, 2014). "Drive For Diversity, NASCAR's Commitment To Race". NPR. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  4. ↑ "Is K&N East driver Daniel Suarez NASCAR's next big thing?". Autoweek. March 13, 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  5. ↑ Kurz Jr., Hank (April 26, 2014). "Kevin Harvick wins Nationwide race at Richmond". The Miami Herald. Miami, FL. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  6. ↑ Estrada, Daniel (August 19, 2014). "NASCAR: Mexican rising star Daniel Suarez moving up to Nationwide". MotorSports Talk. NBC Sports. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  7. ↑ "Live Updates: Suarez takes pole for Subway Firecracker 250". news-journalonline. July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Joe Gibbs Racing Announces Crew Chief Changes for 2016 XFINITY Series". Joe Gibbs Racing. January 8, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  9. ↑ Pistone, Pete (June 11, 2016). "Suarez Gets Breakthrough Win". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  10. ↑ Pistone, Pete (October 2, 2016). "Suarez Scores Dover Win". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Suarez Scores First Truck Win". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  12. ↑ Pistone, Pete (November 19, 2016). "Suarez Winner and Champion". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  13. ↑ Gluck, Jeff (January 10, 2017). "Daniel Suarez's sudden promotion gives NASCAR a shot of diversity". USA Today. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  14. ↑ Cain, Holly (March 29, 2017). "No. 19 crew chief Dave Rogers taking personal leave". NASCAR. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  15. ↑ James, Pat (May 20, 2017). "Rookie Daniel Suarez among 4 drivers advancing to NASCAR All-Star Race". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  16. ↑ Spencer, Lee (June 5, 2017). "Suarez avoids carnage for career-best finish at Dover". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  17. ↑ "NASCAR Cup Series Regulars Fill out Carneros 200 Starting Lineup in Sonoma". Sonoma Raceway. June 15, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  18. ↑ "2017 Carneros 200". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Suarez earns career-best third, says a win "can happen any time"". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  20. ↑ Pockrass, Bob (February 23, 2017). "'Cars 3,' slated for summer release, to feature 12 NASCAR personalities". ESPN. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Daniel Suarez - 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved 2014-09-08.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Daniel Suárez.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Chris Buescher		 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion
2016 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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