It was a great afternoon of racing in Sonoma, California as NASCAR driver Daniel Suárez won his first career Cup Series race. The win has bigger historical implications as well. Only a handful of international drivers have won a Cup Series race. The Mexican-born driver is the first ever to claim a checkered flag in NASCAR’s highest division.
Trackhouse Racing is the team of the year. I don’t care how the rest of the season goes. After all, what they have done with Ross Chastain and Suárez is nothing short of amazing. After he burned his tires down and got out of his car, Suárez talked about the win and, at one point, was almost overcome with emotion.
Check out the video below and see for yourself.
“I have so many thoughts in my head right now. It’s been a rough road. It’s been a rough journey in the Cup Series. … They [my family] never gave up on me. A lot of people did, but they didn’t. So, very happy that we were able to make it work,” he said as he drank from his Coca-Cola.
“[Trackhouse] believes in me [since] day one,” Suárez said of his team. He shouted out his fans, the amigos, in the stands and then yelled a very NSFW “F**k yeah!” Let it all out, Daniel, let it all out.
Of course, if Daniel Suárez wins a race, you know that he’s going to celebrate properly. While his teammate Ross Chastain cracks open watermelons after wins, Suárez punched through a piñata. He also broke out the Mexican flag and took many pictures with his crew.
He thanked all those that helped him up to this point, especially at Trackhouse Racing.
For the former Xfinity Series Champion, this is a major moment.
Daniel Suárez Makes NASCAR History
Today’s race didn’t start out as a Daniel Suárez win. He was one of the best cars all day, but he did have to work against some very strong drivers, and his pit crew did right by him. Getting in and out of pit stops without any major issues was major today, just ask Kyle Larson.
Despite winning the first stage and finishing second in the next, it wasn’t meant to be. Larson went into the pit with about 35 laps to go, and they let him down. He came out of the stop and his front right wheel came right off. That’s going to mean suspensions are coming for the No. 5 team.
Through the race, there was Daniel Suárez to take advantage. He hit those turns just right and put distance between himself and Chris Buescher. Those last few laps were nerve-wracking, as fans and Suárez waited for that white flag and then the checkered.
What a race, what a finish, and what a moment for NASCAR.
