What Being an America Citizen Means for NASCAR Driver Daniel Suarez

Trackhouse Racing superstar Daniel Suarez took an oath last week to officially become a citizen of the United States. A Mexican by birth, Suarez arrived in the United States 12 years ago, his eyes filled with dreams of being a driver in NASCAR. What followed was years of pain and struggle that left him reeling in a lack of finance and motivation.

The hardships that he faced and the subsequent climb that he made to the top are what provides meaning and value to his citizenship. When he took the oath in the Charlotte field office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, he was shouldered by people whom he never imagined would be present. Among those surprise guests was Steve Phelps, the president of NASCAR.

“I didn’t think many people were going to really care about it,” he said on Saturday in New Hampshire. “A lot of people really did. It was not a dream of mine [Becoming a U.S. citizen]. I came to this country to race and compete. I had been working really hard to try and go to the next step and be more competitive. In a blink of an eye, I’ve already been here for 12 years.” – Daniel Suarez.

In the time he has been here, Suarez has become one of the top drivers in the sport. He became the first foreign national to win a NASCAR championship when he won the 2016 Xfinity Series title. He has two victories in the Cup Series and is a key figure in the development of his team. These achievements are what led to him recognize that it was the right time to feel more secure and belonged.

The longer route that Suarez took to becoming a U.S. citizen

Once he took the oath, Suarez’s mother confessed. She revealed that they’d almost moved to the United States when he was born 32 years back. Though she had wanted to give her son a better future and more opportunities, the plan collapsed due to unaffordable expenses. “And now, I guess I did it my way,” Suarez jokes.

So what’s next? The driver is set to be married to his fiancee Julia Piquet in Brazil next month. However, he is yet to receive his passport and green card. Revealing that his fiancee is trying to expedite the process, he says, “I thought, hey if you want to marry me, you’ll have to help me out with this.”