Daniel Suarez Bio
Daniel Alejandro Suárez Garza, born on January 7, 1992, in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, is a Mexican-American professional stock car racing Driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports. Suárez is best known as the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion with Joe Gibbs Racing, becoming the first foreign-born driver to win a major NASCAR national series championship.
Standing 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 168 pounds, Suárez has built one of the most accomplished international careers in American stock car racing. Over more than two decades behind the wheel, he has collected victories across multiple NASCAR national series, regional tours, and the NASCAR Mexico Series, establishing himself as a trailblazer for Latin American drivers in the sport.
Early Life and Background
Daniel Alejandro Suárez Garza grew up in Monterrey, the capital of the Mexican state of Nuevo León. Surrounded by a strong automotive culture in northern Mexico, he was drawn to racing at a young age and began his competitive career in karting in 2002. He continued developing his skills in karts through his early teenage years and, in 2007, captured a class karting championship that marked him as one of Mexico’s most promising young talents.
In 2008, Suárez transitioned to four-wheeled competition by moving into the preliminary Mini-Stocks category of NASCAR Mexico, where he quickly made history by becoming the youngest driver ever to win a race in that series. The achievement drew national attention and opened the door for his promotion to the main NASCAR Mexico Series in 2010, where he drove for Telcel Racing and earned the series’ Rookie of the Year title.
That same period brought his first opportunities on American soil. In 2011, he participated in the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway, finishing eleventh and posting the best result of any Mexican driver in the event. He also began racing in seven events of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, laying the foundation for his full-time move to the United States.
Path to NASCAR
Suárez balanced the NASCAR Mexico Series and the K&N Pro Series East through 2012 and 2013, splitting his time between his home country and developmental tracks in the United States. In Mexico, he challenged for the 2012 championship, entering the final race of the season in contention before settling for third place with two victories. Across the border, he ran selected K&N East events, gaining valuable experience on ovals.
His breakthrough came in 2013, when he committed to a full K&N Pro Series East campaign driving a Toyota for Rev Racing. He won his first series race at Columbus Motor Speedway, posted six top-fives and nine top-tens, and finished third in the championship standings. That same year, he was selected for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, a key step in connecting him with top teams and resources.
In 2014, Suárez won the opening two K&N East races and the first Mexico Series race of the season, demonstrating the speed that had caught the attention of major team owners. In April of that year, Joe Gibbs Racing selected him to make his Nationwide Series debut at Richmond International Raceway, driving the team’s No. 20 Toyota. The result, a nineteenth-place finish, was modest, but the opportunity signaled the start of his path to NASCAR’s national ranks.
Daniel Suarez Career
Early Career (2002-2014)
Suárez’s developmental years were split between Mexico and the United States, where he built a reputation as a disciplined, consistent racer. In the NASCAR Mexico Series, he captured multiple race wins and poles, finished as runner-up in 2013, and scored his first series victory at the 2012 Mexico Nocturna 200 in Mexico City. By the end of 2014, he had established himself as one of the top Mexican drivers of his generation.
On the American side, his work in the K&N Pro Series East produced three wins, including victories at Columbus and the 2014 UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona. He also made his first ARCA Menards Series start in 2014 at Kentucky Speedway. Combined, those years gave him a résumé strong enough to land a full-time ride with one of NASCAR’s top teams.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2015-2016)
In August 2014, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Suárez would run a full-time rookie campaign in the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series in the No. 18 Toyota, paired with a partial schedule in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports. In 2015, he captured his first career Xfinity Series pole at the Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona on July 4, added two more poles at Iowa and Kentucky, and won the series’ Rookie of the Year award over Bubba Wallace by a single top-ten finish in the final statistics. He ended the year fifth in points.
His defining season came in 2016, when his car number was changed to No. 19. He won his first Xfinity Series race at Michigan by passing Kyle Busch on the final lap, becoming the first Mexican-born driver to win in a NASCAR national touring series. He added a second win at Dover in the Chase and dominated the season finale at Homestead, taking the lead on the final restart with two laps remaining to clinch the Xfinity Series championship. The title made him the first foreign-born driver ever to win a NASCAR national series championship.
NASCAR Cup Series Debut and Journey (2017-2021)
After Carl Edwards’ retirement, Suárez was promoted to Joe Gibbs Racing’s flagship No. 19 Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2017, paired with crew chief Dave Rogers. His first full Cup campaign produced multiple top-ten finishes, a Stage 2 win at Watkins Glen, and a strong summer stretch. He also returned to the Xfinity Series for fourteen races, with a best finish of second at the fall Bristol event.
In 2018, he earned his first career Cup Series pole at Pocono and matched it with a career-best runner-up finish. Despite the highlights, consistency was an issue, and at season’s end he was replaced by Martin Truex Jr. Suárez moved to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019 to drive the No. 41 Ford Mustang GT, but failed to make the playoffs and was let go after one season. In 2020, he ran the No. 96 Toyota for Gaunt Brothers Racing, posted modest results, and announced in October that he would join Trackhouse Racing, a new team formed by Justin Marks, for 2021.
Trackhouse Racing Era (2021-2025)
Suárez’s career was revived at Trackhouse Racing, where he drove the No. 99 Chevrolet. In 2021, he scored the team’s first top-five with a fourth-place finish at the Bristol dirt race and added top-ten runs at Dover, Nashville, and Texas. In 2022, Trackhouse acquired charters from Chip Ganassi Racing, and Suárez delivered the most significant victory of his career by winning the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, becoming the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. He finished a career-best tenth in points.
He added a second Cup win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Ambetter Health 400 in 2024, edging Ryan Blaney by 0.003 seconds in the fourth-closest photo finish in Cup Series history. After a difficult 2025 season at Trackhouse, Suárez and the team announced a mutual split on July 1, 2025. He also returned to victory lane in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2025, winning The Chilango 150 at Mexico City driving for JR Motorsports.
Spire Motorsports Era (2026-Present)
On October 22, 2025, Spire Motorsports announced that Suárez would drive the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2026, replacing Justin Haley. He opened the Spire chapter with a 13th-place finish in the Daytona 500 and quickly made his mark by winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte when rain ended the race early, marking his third career Cup Series victory. He has also returned to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Spire at Bristol, with his first Truck Series win having come in 2016 at Phoenix.
Driving Style and Strengths
Suárez is regarded as a patient, technically skilled racer whose strength shines on road courses and intermediate tracks. His breakthrough win at Sonoma in 2022 highlighted his comfort with technical circuits, while his photo-finish victory at Atlanta underscored his ability to perform under pressure in superspeedway-style drafting battles. He has built productive partnerships with crew chiefs such as Scott Graves and the Spire Motorsports engineering group, leaning on clean restarts and disciplined fuel strategy to maximize race results.
Notable Races and Milestones
Suárez’s signature moments include his 2016 Xfinity Series championship at Homestead, his historic 2022 Cup win at Sonoma, the 0.003-second victory over Blaney at Atlanta in 2024, and the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 win at Charlotte in 2026. He has also captured the NASCAR All-Star Race Open in 2017 and 2022, and won the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race Fan Vote, cementing his reputation as a fan favorite and a steady closer in tight finishes.
Daniel Suarez Career Wins
Across all major NASCAR series, Daniel Suárez has recorded verified victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the NASCAR Mexico Series, and the ARCA Menards Series East. His wins span ovals, road courses, and superspeedways, reflecting his versatility and longevity.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Suárez has three verified NASCAR Cup Series wins. His first came at Sonoma in 2022, making him the first Mexican-born driver to win at the Cup level. His second arrived at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2024 in one of the closest finishes in series history, and his third came at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte in 2026, shortened by rain. Across the Cup Series, he has recorded 80 top-ten finishes and three poles, with a career-best championship standing of tenth in 2022.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Highlights
In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Suárez has four career wins, 57 top-ten finishes, and six poles. His first victory came at Michigan in 2016, the same season he captured the series championship, and his most recent win came at The Chilango 150 in Mexico City in 2025. His four total wins tie the milestone of a championship campaign with consistent playoff-caliber results across multiple seasons.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Other Wins
Suárez has one verified NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win, scored at Phoenix in 2016 after capitalizing on a late-race engine failure for William Byron. He has also earned three ARCA Menards Series East wins, with his first coming at Columbus in 2013 and his most recent at the UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona in 2014. In the NASCAR Mexico Series, he has 11 wins and 13 poles, with his first victory at the 2012 Mexico Nocturna 200 in Mexico City and his most recent at the 2024 King Taco La Batalla en El Coliseum at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 3 | 80 | 3 |
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 4 | 57 | 6 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 1 | 16 | 1 |
| NASCAR Mexico Series | 11 | 39 | 13 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 3 | 22 | 0 |
Daniel Suarez Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Suárez was raised in Monterrey, Mexico, where he developed his early passion for racing through karting. Although his parents’ names are not publicly listed in verified sources, he has spoken often about the support of his family in his transition from Mexican national series to American stock car racing. His marriage in 2024 further connected him to one of motorsport’s most prominent families.
Personal Life
Suárez resides in Huntersville, North Carolina, the heart of NASCAR country. He married Julia Piquet, daughter of three-time Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet, on July 30, 2024, in Brazil. In April 2026, it was announced that the couple is expecting their first child. On June 18, 2024, Suárez officially became a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States after completing the Oath of Allegiance, having passed the U.S. Citizenship Exam earlier that spring.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season was Suárez’s final year with Trackhouse Racing, and it proved to be a campaign of mixed results. He opened with a thirteenth-place finish in the Daytona 500 before a late-race wreck at Atlanta left him with a 33rd-place result. A second DNF followed at COTA after contact with teammate Connor Zilisch, who was making his Cup Series debut. He bounced back with a strong second-place run at Las Vegas, where he lost the lead to Josh Berry with thirteen laps remaining, but consistency remained elusive through the opening stretch of the season.
On July 1, 2025, Trackhouse Racing and Suárez mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season, closing a five-year chapter that included the team’s first Cup victory. Despite the difficult Cup campaign, Suárez returned to victory lane in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, winning The Chilango 150 at Mexico City in the JR Motorsports No. 9. He closed the year preparing for his move to Spire Motorsports, setting the stage for a fresh start with the No. 7 Chevrolet in 2026.
