'We're making history together' - Suarez on NASCAR racing in Mexico

Daniel Suarez dreamed of NASCAR bringing its top series to Mexico one day. Now he's living that dream, racing in his home country for the first time in 10 years this weekend, pulling double duty in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports and the Cup Series race with his Trackhouse Racing team.

The latter, Sunday’s show, is the first time the Cup Series is racing in Mexico City, and it’s the first international points event for the series since 1958.

“It’s very hard to put into words,” Suarez said after Friday’s activities at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. “I had an expectation on the hype of the people, the energy, and the fans coming and the media. The entire week and weekend, it has exceeded every single expectation that I’ve had. For that, I want to say thank you to you guys. This event – it hasn’t even started yet, and I’ve been living a dream. That’s exactly what has been happening for me the last few days.

“I’ve been very blessed, very happy to be here to be racing in front of you guys. Finally, I was able to drive the car and not just talk about it, and I feel like a fish in water. Hopefully, I can continue to have fun and continue to enjoy this moment. We’re making history together, not just NASCAR and me, but the entire country of Mexico. So, this is something very special, and it’s a very good example that when these two countries work together, the sky is the limit. I think it’s a great example of the work that NASCAR and Mexico, [promoter] OCESA, and all the promoters have been doing together.”

The last time Suarez was on track in Mexico City was when he ran in the NASCAR Mexico Series. Of the 10 wins that Suarez earned in the series, three of them came in Mexico City at the circuit NASCAR is competing at this weekend.

Suarez left Mexico City shortly after his NASCAR Mexico Series success and earned a ride with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series later that season. Two years later, he was a series champion, and then a year later, he unexpectedly became a full-time Cup Series driver when Carl Edwards retired. Today, Suarez is a two-time Cup Series winner with Trackhouse Racing.

The last time a NASCAR national series event was held in Mexico City was 2008. Suarez has, naturally, been the face of the sport’s return, and he has been eager to show off his country and his culture. Not only has Suarez been used repeatedly by NASCAR for promotion of the event, but he also arrived in Mexico early for events and obligations leading into race weekend.

“Honestly, a lot of people have been worried about that, but I haven't,” Suarez said. “I have had a plan in my mind of what I was going to do, and I've been following that plan since Tuesday.

You have no idea how many people have been telling me, ‘Daniel, you're going to be burned out. Daniel, slow down a little bit.’ I have a plan in my mind, and I already know what I need to do, how much to push. I'm just enjoying it.

“I'm like a kid on Christmas. That's why you guys see me with a smile pretty much everywhere I go. It's been a blast so far. Like I said, this is just getting started. This is only the first day of the weekend.”

Suarez earned his first career Cup Series win on a road course. A win Sunday would lock him into the playoffs as he enters Mexico City sitting 28th in the standings.