Daniel Suarez On Entering His Peak, Fire Safety and Expanding NASCAR’s Latino Fanbase

Daniel Suarez had a fantastic showing on Sunday, finishing just 0.2 seconds behind Joey Logano to grab second place at the Quaker State 400.

The Mexican-born racing star is in the thick of the NASCAR playoffs, and he recently took some time to speak exclusively with SportsCasting.com about his love for auto restoration, heading into his racing peak, NASCAR’s expanding Latino market, and driver safety after a scary fire late last month.

Your dad ran an auto restoration business. Did you find your love for detailing when you were young?

Daniel Suarez: “Yeah. A lot of people know me for my racing life, but in reality, I started my car love because of classic cars. Working with my dad at his shop from a very young age, working on classic cars, building engines, learning how to weld, cleaning cars, polishing, painting, things like that. So since I was a very young kid I’ve had a love for cars. That’s how everything started, and then eventually, like most kids, I loved speed, and I got an opportunity to race, and everything was born from there.”

You were recently named the first-ever brand ambassador for Turtle Wax’s Art of Car Care line in Mexico. Is that why this is a natural partnership with Turtle Wax? It’s not just a random product but something you appreciate?

DS: “Totally. I’m very fortunate and blessed to be in this position, a position where I’m able to partner with brands and companies that have the same values as myself. Organic partnerships. Things that are natural. I love cars, animals, fitness, and things like that are organic. And the most organic thing you can think of for myself is cars. I love cars, and almost every day I drive a classic car. It follows my personality.”

Your dad sold his business to finance your racing aspirations?

DS: “Yeah, so when I was about 15 years old, he had to sell his restoration shop and his parts store. He put a mortgage on my mom’s house as well to continue to support my career. Fortunately, once things worked out in racing, I was able to partner with him and buy the shop back. It’s something very special.”

Where do you think you’d be now if he didn’t do that and you couldn’t pursue your racing dream? What would your life have looked like without that?

DS: “That’s a great question, man. I don’t think about that very often. But I can tell you I’d for sure be doing something with cars. I promise you that every time I text with my dad, we talk about cars. I’d say 80% of our conversations are about classic cars, and 20% is about racing and family. So maybe I’d be doing something at the shop with him.”

Do you think a lack of resources is something that keeps kids in Mexico from becoming professional racers? Would you love to help make it a more mainstream thing for the kids that can’t afford it?

DS: “Yeah, and it happens in many countries, right? Not just Mexico. Every sport is different, and racing is a sport that unfortunately is expensive. It’s expensive to get started and it’s expensive to stay in racing. I know a lot of talented race car drivers that were not able to make it because they don’t have the resources or connections. It’s kind of sad, because that affects a lot of families out there. Unfortunately racing is expensive, especially in the beginning because no one knows you and it’s difficult to find sponsorships. There is a lot of talent out there and I try to do my part, try to help as many people as I can. I’m just trying to pave the road for the new generations.”

NASCAR says its Hispanic fanbase is growing. Can you tell there is increased interest?

DS: “Of course. You can see the Hispanic fanbase continue to grow, continue to get stronger in the NASCAR world. I’m happy to be a small part of it.”

Do you think Pitbull plays a role in that, too? What’s it like being partnered with him, and do you think his name recognition helps?

DS: “Of course. I think it’s a combination of many things, and Pitbull is definitely a part of that. He attracts a huge market, and a market that is not necessarily car fans or NASCAR fans. Having Pitbull as the co-owner of Trackhouse is definitely helping.”

NASCAR is making a push to be more diverse. Were there any ugly incidents earlier in your career as a racer from Mexico within a sport that was more predominantly white, predominantly US?

DS: “You know, I never experienced any issues, fortunately. I can tell you that when I was getting started, most of the people trying to advise me were telling me that it would be really difficult for me to make it because I was from Mexico. But it’s been very good. I was fortunate to get into the sport when the sport was continuing to grow, and when they had a big interest in the Hispanic market and the Latino market. We’re going to be racing in Mexico City next year, and that’s a big deal for myself. So I personally have found nothing but support from sponsors, NASCAR and many people.”

That’s great. So how excited are you to be back in the playoffs?

DS: “Very excited. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m really looking forward to the playoffs. The team is ready. I’m ready. I can’t wait to fight hard in the first round.”

When you see a guy like Denny Hamlin among the favorites at 43 years old now, how impressive is it to see him still racing at a high level?

DS: “Honestly, if you stay in good shape physically and mentally, the older you get, the better you get, because you have more experience. In my opinion, your mid-30s to high-30s to low-40s, that’s the best time of your career because you still have the youth and you also have the experience. Denny has done a great job of staying in good shape and he’s showing it on the track.”

So do you feel like you are heading into that peak portion of your career?

DS: “I think so. I’m 32 now and I’ve been in the Cup Series already for seven years. I feel like I’m getting to the point where the best years of my racing career are ahead of me. I already have the experience. I know what I need and don’t need. And I’m still young. So I really believe the peak of my career is right now. The next 10 years are going to be amazing for me.”

Do you feel like you are currently in a good groove? What are your expectations for the upcoming races?

DS: “We just have to take care of the little things, all the little details. If we do that, we’re going to be in good shape. We’ve done a good job being consistent lately, besides the fire, but we have been finishing strong, and I look forward to carrying that to the playoffs.”

In the 2022 playoffs you had a power steering issue and you had that big fire that you mentioned a couple weeks ago. Is it a frustrating sport, where you can feel like you’re in a groove, but then a mechanical issue or a crash can derail things?

DS: “It can definitely be very frustrating and at times very disappointing, but that’s racing. There are a lot of factors that have to take place for someone to be successful. The team, the engineers, the pit crew, the tires, the engine, the transmission. There are so many different factors. That’s why we love racing, and that’s why we hate racing at times.”

The fire (on August 24) was a scary sight to see. Now that you’re a couple weeks past it, does your perspective change? Do you look back at it like, ‘That was a pretty close call?’

DS: “To be honest with you, it looked way worse on the outside than it was on the inside. I’m super thankful for NASCAR and the safety group, because from the inside, with all I had on, I just felt a little bit of temperature. Nothing major. The safety in this car is very good, and I’m very thankful to be racing in this era, where safety is at this level. The fire looked pretty bad from the outside, but inside the car I was pretty safe. I was so good inside the car that I thought I was going to be able to continue. Once I saw the videos I realized that wasn’t going to be the case. But luckily I was 100% two minutes after the fact.”

What was the reaction from your family? You said you didn’t feel like it was a big deal in the car, but I assume you had people watching it live that you are close to. Were they freaked out in the moment?

DS: “They were. They were a little bit. But once they saw me get out of the car and feeling good – I still had my helmet on and I was asking my crew chief if I was going to get back in there – at that point they all knew I was fine.”

Kevin Harvick has spoken about added measures when it comes to fire safety. Do you feel like there should be stricter requirements and more safety for the drivers?

DS: “It can never be too safe. It can always be better. I agree with that. With that being said, in my particular experience, I was 100% one minute after I got out of the car. Yes, I breathed in a little bit of smoke, but after a minute, I was 100%. When it comes to safety, that’s one of the things that NASCAR spends millions and millions of dollars on every single year, to make sure all of the drivers are in good shape.”