FIRST MEXICAN DRIVER TO WIN
NASCAR NATIONAL SERIES RACE
Story and Photos | NASCAR. com
DAYTONA BEACH, FL.( June 11, 2016)-- Daniel Suárez earned his first career NASCAR XFINITY Series win on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, becoming the first Mexican-born driver to capture a NA- SCAR national series victory.
With the victory, Suárez clinches a spot in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase.
Suárez, a graduate of both the NA- SCAR Drive for Diversity and NA- SCAR Next programs, has accomplished a long list of accolades since joining NASCAR in
2011. Last season, he became the first Mexican driver to win the NA- SCAR XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award, finishing fifth in the championship standings. This season, Suárez became the first foreign-born driver to lead the points in any of the three NASCAR national Series, topping the NA- SCAR XFINITY Series standings for six consecutive weeks. He is the current points leader in the NA- SCAR XFINITY Series, the series where " Names Are Made."
Suárez, 24, has quickly climbed the NASCAR ladder system throughout his career, with full-time stops in
the NASCAR Mexico Series and the NASCAR K & N Pro Series East before joining the NASCAR XFINI- TY Series with Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2015 season.
During his four years( 2011-14) in the NASCAR Mexico Series, Suárez won 10 races and finished in the top 10 in championship points in all four of his seasons, including a runner-up championship finish in 2013.
In two full-time seasons in the NASCAR K & N Pro Series East, Suárez won three races and finished third in the final standings in 2013.
Suárez had scored six runner-up finishes in the national series prior to his win on Saturday.
With the victory, Suárez becomes only the fifth Latino driver to win a NASCAR national series race, joining Frank Mundy, Juan Pablo Montoya, Aric Almirola and Nelson Piquet Jr.
NASCAR Next is an industry-wide initiative designed to spotlight to best and brightest rising young stars in racing. NASCAR Drive for Diversity, operated by Rev Racing, is an academy-style development program for female and multicultural drivers and crew members who have the potential and determination to succeed at the highest levels of NASCAR.
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