Daniel Suárez has endured an up-and-down 2025 NASCAR Cup season, currently sitting 28th in the standings with 254 points after 15 races, bagging one top-5 and three top-10 finishes so far. Early in the year, he impressed with a solid 13th-place finish in the Daytona 500 and strong runs at Atlanta, where he had previously thrilled fans with a 3-wide battle and victory. Despite a few setbacks, including 4 DNFs, Suárez has shown glimpses of speed and potential, particularly on road courses, and with the upcoming race in Mexico City, Suárez hopes to shine again with his hometown comeback.

“It’s a great privilege to represent all Mexico. This isn’t just another race on the calendar,” said Suárez. Looking back, Suárez has long been a pioneer for Mexican drivers in NASCAR. He claimed his historic maiden Cup win at Sonoma in 2022 as the first Mexican-born victor and followed it with another triumph at Atlanta in 2024, making him a road course specialist. Those victories were highlighted by memorable moments, including his slim 0.003-second win at Atlanta.

Now, Suárez is poised to headline NASCAR’s first-ever Cup race in Mexico City. As the only Mexican-born driver in the premier series, his presence elevates the event’s national importance. With home-country pride and championship aspirations, the Trackhouse Racing driver couldn’t hold back his emotions for the bold international expansion that NASCAR has finally added to its calendar.

Daniel Suárez’s journey comes full circle on home soil

With the excitement of the crowd supporting Suárez’s return to home soil, the emotions have been raw and unfiltered. In a pre-race interview, Daniel Suárez talked about the honor of racing in his own country, saying, “It’s very hard to put into words. I had an expectation on the hype of the people, and energy, and the fans coming, and the media, you guys. I have, like, the entire week and weekend now, it has exceeded every single expectation that I had.” 

The 33-year-old mingled freely with supporters at the Angel of Independence, being constantly stopped for autographs throughout Friday’s practice, and his gratitude for the fans was palpable. “So, for that, I want to say thank you to you guys. This event, I feel like it hasn’t even started yet, and it has been, I’ve been living a dream,” said Suárez. “That’s exactly what has been happening for me the last few days, and I feel very blessed, very happy to be here, racing in front of you guys.” The overwhelming reception, coupled with his heartfelt amazement, perfectly encapsulated why this weekend feels like both a career culmination and a cultural milestone.

“I feel that, finally, I was able to drive the car, not just talk about it, and I feel really, you know, a fish in the water, and hopefully, I can just continue to have fun, and continue to enjoy this moment,” continued Suárez. “We’re making history right now together, not just NASCAR, not just me, but the entire country of Mexico. So this is something very special.” With the excitement intact, the #99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet will also be seen sporting a special one-race primary sponsorship from Mexican telecommunications giant Telcel-Infinitum, which marks the first time Suárez has featured a home-country sponsor.

He expressed his gratitude to NASCAR for finally including Mexico City in the 2025 Cup Series schedule and hoped for further collaborations in the near future. “I hope this event creates a lot of NASCAR fans in Mexico. We want to make this event permanent on the NASCAR calendar for many years,” said Suárez.

Having started his career in the Mexican Series and then reached the heights of the Cup Series in America, this race holds special significance for Suárez. From seeing his parent sacrifice their own business in Monterrey, Mexico, to now leading the Cup Series contingent back to his home turf, it is a life coming full circle moment for the driver. Not to forget the three wins he had at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit while he was competing in the Mexico Series. While Sunday’s mega event will be a points race, for Suárez, it will be an emotional rollercoaster ride. And he is hoping to create a lasting memory for the fans in Mexico with this NASCAR weekend.

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Daniel Suárez avoids the Formula 1 playbook for Mexico race

Daniel Suárez will double his effort this weekend, racing both in the Xfinity event and the Viva Mexico 250. With the spotlight fixed squarely on him, Suárez has embraced the challenge, though he admitted that he is unfamiliar with nearly half of the circuit, particularly the famed stadium section. Given the circuit is a staple on the Formula 1 calendar, one might assume that the Trackhouse Racing star would seek input from his extended family, Max Verstappen, the reigning 4-time F1 World Champion and partner of Suárez’s sister-in-law, Kelley Piquet. But that is not the case this time.

In a pre-race press conference, Suárez noted that the drastic differences between Cup and F1 machinery render such advice ineffective. “It’s going to be a challenge for everyone. And also, you know, something else that I saw is that in Formula 1, through the esses, they go wide open when they’re low on fuel in the soft tire. We’re going in second gear, so it’s quite different,” said Suárez.

Another key factor is the venue itself. Located at over 7,300 feet above sea level, the thin air at the Mexico City track affects not only drivers’ physical stamina but also car performance, drastically reducing downforce and cooling efficiency. Formula 1 teams compensate by bringing high-downforce packages, like those used in Monaco, while NASCAR teams must adapt with entirely different strategies. Suárez, aware of these unique conditions, knows his Cup car will behave very differently from Verstappen’s Red Bull car. “I don’t know if I can get a lot of advice from Max or someone that has run Formula 1 cars there before,” he said in a pre-race interview before the Michigan race.

With so many variables in play, the Mexican star is relying on his own instincts, team prep, and track time as he aims to make history at home.