LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – As the first Mexican born NASCAR driver to win a cup series race, Daniel Suárez has spent his career proving doubters wrong – taking control of his own destiny and proving he belongs in a sport where few looked like him.
Long before he became a NASCAR star, Suárez was just a kid from Monterrey, Mexico with a dream, racing go-karts with recycled tires.
“Really, we went through against all the odds, because to be a racing driver, you know, a kid racing go karts, it’s expensive,” Suárez said.
Suárez defied every expectation – climbing through the ranks, learning the English language and eventually, becoming the first Mexican -born driver to win a national NASCAR title and eventually making it to the elite cup series.
“When I came to the sport, I was being told by 80% of the people that it wasn’t going to be possible to be a Mexican driver in the cup series and for me that was fuel. I wanted to make the not possible, possible and make it a normal,” Suárez explained.
Through his fan program Daniel’s Amigos, he’s bringing more Latinos to NASCAR giving them a reason to believe they belong in the sport too.
“I wanted to make sure that they were feeling welcome and at the same time that I was feeling like home with them there.” he shared.
One of the fans in attendance, Rosemary Cerda, explained she is a part of Daniel’s Amigos.
“I just love him,” Cerda said. “He has brought a lot of Latinos community. I see a lot of fans now, there was not that many.”
Another fan in attendance, Shirley Kirouac, said she has been a fan for a long time.
“I saw him the first day, the first day on TV, and I said, ‘that’s my man’ and he’s been my man ever since,” Kirouac said.
This Sunday, Suárez is heading to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Pennzoil 400.
“The other day I was reading a book that that said, ‘have the confidence of a five-year-old with a Batman t-shirt’ and I love that,” Suárez said.
Suárez will be looking for another big win Sunday at the Pennzoil 400 – the race kicks of at 12:30 p.m.
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