Despite the 2024 season not panning out in Daniel Suarez‘s favor, he has a new life to look forward to now. After a single win at Atlanta Motor Speedway early in February, Suarez mostly finished outside the top 15. However, NASCAR is welcoming the Trackhouse Racing driver in a new way.

Being the only Mexican-born driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, Daniel Suarez has faced several hurdles since his debut. But he has weathered the challenges over the years and can now proudly call himself a native of the sport. And NASCAR CEO Jim France warmly appreciates him.

Daniel Suarez is roped into the Yankee fold

The Monterrey, Mexico, native almost became a US citizen as a baby. 32 years earlier, Daniel Suarez’s parents debated whether to check into a US hospital. But crossing the border was beyond their expense at the time, and they changed their plans. So when Suarez officially inked his name on the US citizenship list, he admitted to his personal journey into the land of opportunities. “I guess I did it my way.” 

And the two-time Cup Series winner received the highest honor in NASCAR. Jim France, currently the CEO of the sport, recently packaged a gift most relevant to the occasion. A ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ arrived at Daniel Suarez’s doorstep, along with a heartwarming note. France addressed Suarez: “Daniel, I asked that this flag be flown over the United States Capital and happy of you becoming a United States citizen. Our country immediately became a better place on that special day! Congratulations! Best regards, Jim.”

Daniel Suarez posted the picture on Instagram and expressed his heartfelt gratitude. He captioned the post: “Thank you to my great friend Jim for this very thoughtful gift, this one meant a lot! 🇺🇸.” Ever since he joined NASCAR in 2012, Suarez has had a lot to thank the France family for. Especially the Drive for Diversity program, Brian France‘s brainchild, introduced in 2004. Suarez faced a language barrier and struggled financially, hence, the program helped him wade through these difficulties.

Daniel Suarez admitted as much in 2022, soon after clinching his first Cup career win in Sonoma. “If it wasn’t for the Drive for Diversity, I don’t think I would be sitting here right now. I was about to come back to Mexico. They gave me an opportunity to keep racing in 2013. That kept me alive. I was able to win races that year (in NASCAR Mexico and K&N East) and keep the momentum going. Before that it was very, very tough.”

As his American career path became more clear, the France family warmly welcomed him yet again. And this gesture melted the NASCAR community.

NASCAR fans are ecstatic about Suarez’s welcome

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Despite his slow success in NASCAR’s highest tier, Daniel Suarez has many medals on his resume. His most notable outing was in 2016 when he won three Xfinity wins besides snagging the championship title. Hence, Suarez commands immense respect among his American compatriots. So France’s gesture melted some fans: “Wow!!! That’s awesome and an honor @daniel_suarezg ! Proud of you ☺️🇺🇸.” Another fan chimed in with welled-up eyes: “Stop ♥️😭♥️😭♥️ Happy tears 🙌🏻♥️.”

Some fans have hailed Suarez’s impressive racing journey so far. His Xfinity accomplishments and Cup progress already make Daniel Suarez an experienced veteran in the garage. One fan agreed with France’s opinion that the US is a better place in his presence: “He’s right. We are better with you, congrats amigo 🇺🇸❤️🇲🇽” Another fan echoed the sentiment: “Great job amigo, you work hard and you deserve it! Buena Suerte!”

Other fans were heart-warmed by Jim France’s thoughtful gift. Somebody poignantly highlighted how this underlines a blooming US-Mexico bond. “Things like this are so important to remind us why we are here! What a fabulous gift!! 💜🙏🏽🇺🇸🌮” Another fan was also star-struck by the star-spangled banner: “That’s such a wonderful gift, Congratulations again!!”

Evidently, Daniel Suarez is receiving all the welcome and praise after a long and arduous journey in NASCAR. We hope he continues to reach great heights of success in the country he can now call home.