Daniel Suárez Bio
Daniel Alejandro Suárez Garza (born January 7, 1992) 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. A native of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, Suárez is widely recognized as the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion with Joe Gibbs Racing, making him the first foreign-born driver to win a major NASCAR national series championship.
Early Life and Background
Daniel Alejandro Suárez Garza was born on January 7, 1992, in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. Growing up in one of Mexico’s largest industrial cities, he was introduced to motorsports at a young age and began his racing career in karting in 2002. By 2007, he had won a class championship in karting, signaling an early talent for the sport.
Suárez transitioned to stock cars in 2008, joining the Mini-Stocks preliminary category of NASCAR Mexico. That same year, he became the youngest driver ever to win a race in the series. His family supported his passion for racing, and he progressed quickly through the developmental ranks in Mexico before setting his sights on the broader NASCAR ladder in the United States.
Path to NASCAR
In 2010, Suárez moved up to the NASCAR Mexico Series with Telcel Racing, where he captured the series’ Rookie of the Year title. He balanced that schedule with select appearances in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, a key developmental series in the United States. By 2012, he was splitting time between the Mexico Series and the K&N Pro Series East, finishing third in the Mexico standings with two victories.
Suárez’s full-time commitment to the K&N Pro Series East came in 2013, driving a Toyota for Rev Racing as part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. He scored his first series win at Columbus Motor Speedway, recorded six top-fives and nine top-tens, and finished third in points. Later that year, Joe Gibbs Racing selected him to make his Nationwide Series debut at Richmond International Raceway, a clear sign that his transition to the upper NASCAR ranks was underway.
Daniel Suárez Career
Early Career (2002–2014)
Suárez’s earliest competitive years were spent in karting and the lower divisions of NASCAR Mexico, where he built a reputation as a fast learner. After winning the 2010 NASCAR Mexico Series Rookie of the Year, he continued to develop in the Toyota Series while gaining exposure to American short tracks through the K&N Pro Series East. These formative seasons taught him the discipline required to compete in national-level events.
By 2014, his stock in the development pipeline had risen sharply. He won the first two K&N East races and the first Toyota Series race of that season, prompting Joe Gibbs Racing to call him up for a Nationwide Series start at Richmond. The strong early results set the stage for his promotion to a full-time national series ride the following year.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2015–2016)
In 2015, Suárez moved full-time to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, piloting the No. 18 Toyota. He won the pole for the Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona, his first career Xfinity pole, and added poles at Iowa and Kentucky later in the year. He captured the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year award, edging Darrell Wallace Jr. by a single top-ten finish, and ended the season fifth in points.
The 2016 campaign was the defining year of Suárez’s Xfinity tenure. With the car number changed to No. 19, 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 a NASCAR national touring series event. He added a second win at Dover in the Chase, advanced to the Round of 8, and dominated the season finale at Homestead to claim his first NASCAR national series championship. The title made him the first foreign-born driver to win a major NASCAR national series championship.
NASCAR Cup Series Career (2017–Present)
Suárez was promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017, taking over the No. 19 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing after the retirement of Carl Edwards. He ran the full season, posting multiple top-ten finishes and earning a Stage 2 win at Watkins Glen, but was replaced by Martin Truex Jr. at the end of 2018. He moved to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019 to drive the No. 41 Ford Mustang GT, then spent 2020 with Gaunt Brothers Racing in the No. 96 Toyota.
A new chapter began in 2021 when Suárez joined Trackhouse Racing’s No. 99 team. In 2022, he became the first Mexican-born driver to win a Cup Series race, taking the checkered flag at Sonoma, and finished a career-best tenth in points. On February 25, 2024, he captured his second Cup Series victory in the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, edging Ryan Blaney by 0.003 seconds in the fourth-closest photo finish in Cup Series history.
Spire Motorsports Era (2026–Present)
On October 22, 2025, it was announced that Suárez would drive the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in 2026, replacing Justin Haley. The move marks a return to the Chevrolet camp and a new opportunity with a growing organization. Suárez brings a championship pedigree and proven race-winning experience to the Spire Motorsports program, and his pairing with the No. 7 team is expected to add momentum to the squad’s Cup Series ambitions.
Driving Style and Strengths
Suárez is widely regarded as a road-course ace, with his breakthrough Cup win coming at Sonoma and several strong showings on permanent and temporary road courses. He is known for his smooth inputs, patience in traffic, and ability to capitalize on late-race restarts, a quality on display in both his 2022 Sonoma victory and his 2024 Atlanta photo finish. Crew chief partnerships and strategic tire management have played a key role in unlocking his best performances.
Notable Races and Milestones
Beyond his Sonoma and Atlanta wins, Suárez scored his first career Cup pole at Pocono in 2018 and his first Xfinity win at Michigan in 2016, the latter making him the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national touring series event. He also won a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Phoenix in 2016 and captured a NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Mexico City in 2025. His 2016 Xfinity Series title at Homestead remains the cornerstone of his career resume.
Daniel Suárez Career Wins
Daniel Suárez has won races in all three of NASCAR’s national series, headlined by his 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and his two NASCAR Cup Series victories. He also owns wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Mexico Series, in addition to developmental and exhibition success.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights
Suárez’s Xfinity Series résumé is anchored by three national series wins, the most famous of which was the 2016 Michigan race where he passed Kyle Busch on the final lap. He added a Chase win at Dover later that year before sealing the championship at Homestead. He returned to victory lane in 2025 with a win at Mexico City driving for JR Motorsports.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Suárez has two Cup Series wins to his credit. His first came at Sonoma Raceway in 2022, where he became the first Mexican-born driver to win in the Cup Series. His second came in February 2024 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in one of the closest finishes in series history. He also captured his first career Cup pole at Pocono in 2018.
Other Wins and Performances
In addition to his national series success, Suárez won a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Phoenix in 2016 and recorded multiple victories in the NASCAR Mexico Series and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He was named to NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program in 2013 and is a two-time series Rookie of the Year, earning the honor in the NASCAR Mexico Series in 2010 and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2015.
Daniel Suárez Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Suárez was raised in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, where his family nurtured his early interest in motorsports and supported his karting beginnings. His path from local karting tracks to NASCAR’s national ranks has made him a prominent figure in Mexican motorsports and an inspiration for young drivers in his home country.
Personal Life
Suárez resides in Huntersville, North Carolina. In 2022, he became engaged to Julia Piquet, daughter of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Nelson Piquet. The couple married on July 30, 2024, in Brazil. On June 18, 2024, Suárez officially became a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States after completing the Oath of Allegiance.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season marked Suárez’s final year with Trackhouse Racing. He opened the campaign with a thirteenth-place finish in the Daytona 500, then faced early adversity with a 33rd-place result at Atlanta and a second consecutive DNF at COTA after a wreck with teammate Connor Zilisch. He bounced back at Las Vegas with a runner-up finish, his first top-five of the year, but consistency remained elusive through the summer stretch.
On July 1, 2025, it was announced that Suárez and Trackhouse had mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season, opening the door for his move to Spire Motorsports. Outside the Cup Series, he added a win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Mexico City driving the JR Motorsports No. 9, a bright spot in an otherwise transitional year. The deal with Spire sets up a fresh start in 2026, where he will be paired with the No. 7 Chevrolet team with renewed momentum.