Daniel Suarez has been in NASCAR for over eight years, consistently working on his skills in stock car racing. After winning the Atlanta race last year, he has already secured a top-5 finish this year, landing second at Las Vegas, narrowly missing out on victory behind Josh Berry.
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Yet despite his achievements, Suarez often finds himself yearning for his native home country. He’s previously expressed that while many tracks feel like home, they don’t replace the real thing. Recently, he clarified his sentiments about the enticement of racing at home versus participating in NASCAR’s top events.
In a discussion on Speed Freaks, when faced with the choice between winning the Daytona 500 or driving in the first Mexico City race in a Cup car, Suarez didn’t hesitate to choose the latter, saying “The Mexico race!” The Trackhouse Racing driver explained that for him, racing in Mexico holds as much significance as winning a championship — it’s a monumental achievement.
Suarez pointed out that unlike his peers, who often compete near their home states or even hometowns, he rarely enjoys that privilege, making the prospect of racing in Mexico exceptionally meaningful.
He remarked, “I haven’t raced as a Pro driver, I haven’t raced in my home country for over 10 years. So, it’s a very big deal for me. The Daytona 500 probably is huge and it would be a dream, Championship the same, but the Mexico race is something personal, that maybe for many people it would be just another race but for me it’s huge.”
This season, NASCAR will make a historic run to Mexico City for its first international points race in nearly 67 years, the first time since July 1958 that the premier series has competed outside the United States. While NASCAR ventured to Japan for three exhibition races back in 1996-1998, those were non-points events and did not carry the same weight as a championship points race.
Does Daniel Suarez miss his home country?
Now settled in the USA and established as a formidable competitor in NASCAR’s elite series, Suarez is eager to play host as the circus heads to Mexico. During a tour of the track with fellow NASCAR luminaries Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott, Suarez couldn’t hide his excitement, sharing, “I feel like you are coming to my house for the very first time.”
He acknowledged that while he has comfortably adapted to life, taken US citizenship, and is racing in the United States, which has become a second home, it doesn’t substitute for his deep roots in Mexico. Although tracks like Homestead-Miami and Texas, with their vibrant Hispanic fan bases, give him a sense of belonging in the U.S., they still don’t equate to being at home.
Suarez expressed, “There is no one race track I can still call home – Texas, Miami, Phoenix, and California are all like home because there are a lot of my fans – but it is not home.” He also reflected on the importance of bringing American drivers to race in Mexico, noting that despite cultural differences, Mexican fans would wholeheartedly embrace the event.
