Story by Chara and photos by NASCAR – Getty Images.
Mexican professional racecar driver Daniel Suarez has high expectations for his return to Kansas City, Kansas.
On May 15, Suarez will race in the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. The 400-mile, 267-lap race is part of the NASCAR Cup Series.
“I always enjoy Kansas City,” he said. “I enjoy Kansas City, in and out of the racetrack. In KC, I’ve seen many Mexican people in the past and that makes it special. I hope to have a great time in the race there.”
Suarez expects to see many Mexican flags and Mexican people this time, too. And he has an expectation of where he will finish as they cheer him on.
“It will be very cool to put the 99 (car) in Victory Lane,” he said.
Suarez is the only Mexican driving on NASCAR’s top circuit. For him, that is a big responsibility.
“It is fun, it is a privilege,” he said. “However, my goal is not just to represent Mexico; my goal is to win races and championships.”
“I get up and go to sleep thinking about competing, winning and being successful in what I do,” Suarez added.
In keeping with representing Mexico, Suarez’s favorite helmet is his Dia de los Muertos helmet because of all it represents, he said.
“(It) is very Mexican, (it) is very me, and a lot of Mexican people feel the connection with it,” Suarez said. “I’m working on the second edition of my helmet and I will release it in the second half of the year.”
Becoming a NASCAR driver was a long process, Suarez said.
“When I was trying to come to the United States, I realized that I had to work very hard to get here,” he said. “If you want to be part of this level, you need to be willing to sacrifice things, such as family.”
Young people interested in becoming a NASCAR driver should be prepared to go “all in” and work hard, Suarez said.
For tickets or more information about the event, visit https://www.kansasspeedway.com/.
La Copa NASCAR y Daniel Suárez regresan a KCK
El piloto de carreras profesional mexicano Daniel Suárez tiene grandes expectativas para su regreso a Kansas City, Kansas.
El 15 de mayo, Suárez correrá en la AdventHealth 400 en el Kansas Speedway. La carrera de 400 millas y 267 vueltas es parte de la Serie de la Copa NASCAR.
“Siempre disfruto Kansas City”, dijo. “Disfruto Kansas City, dentro y fuera de la pista de carreras. En KC, he visto a muchos mexicanos en el pasado y eso lo hace especial. Espero pasar un buen rato en la carrera allí”.
Suárez espera ver muchas banderas mexicanas y gente mexicana. Y tiene una expectativa de dónde terminará mientras lo animan.
“Será genial poner el (automóvil) 99 en Victory Lane”, dijo.
Suárez es el único piloto mexicano en el circuito principal de NASCAR. Para él, eso es una gran responsabilidad.
“Es divertido, es un privilegio”, dijo. “Sin embargo, mi objetivo no es sólo representar a México; mi objetivo es ganar carreras y campeonatos”.
“Me levanto y me acuesto pensando en competir, ganar y tener éxito en lo que hago”, agregó.
De acuerdo con representar a México, el casco favorito de Suárez es su casco del Día de los Muertos por todo lo que representa, dijo.
“(Es) muy mexicano, (es) muy yo, y muchos mexicanos sienten la conexión con eso”, dijo. “Estoy trabajando en la segunda edición de mi casco y lo lanzaré en la segunda mitad del año”.
Convertirse en piloto de NASCAR fue un proceso largo, dijo Suárez.
“Cuando estaba tratando de venir a Estados Unidos, me di cuenta de que tenía que trabajar muy duro para llegar aquí”, dijo. “Si quieres ser parte de este nivel, debes estar dispuesto a sacrificar cosas, como la familia”.
Los jóvenes interesados en convertirse en pilotos de NASCAR deben estar preparados para ir “al máximo” y trabajar duro, dijo Suárez.
Para boletos o más información sobre el evento, visite https://www.kansasspeedway.com/.
