The Secret Behind Daniel Suarez’s Sudden Success in Brazil Has a Strong South American Connection

Daniel Suarez has been more than busy during the Paris Olympics break, hasn’t he? He recently got married to his long-term girlfriend Julia Piquet in Brazil and competed in three races at Autodromo de Interlagos, achieving three solid results. Unlike his Next Gen Cup car, which boasts a V8 engine and 600 horsepower, Suarez was forced to adapt to the NASCAR Brazil car, which has a 300 horsepower V6 engine. If results are anything to go by, the transition was as smooth as it gets.

Competing in the fifth round of the 2024 NASCAR Brasil Series, Daniel Suarez went on to win the second of the three races of its Special Edition mini tournament. The secret behind his success? His wife Julia Piquet may have something to do with it!

Unlike the national championship, the Special Edition weekend of NASCAR Brasil included three races. Daniel Suarez quickly adapted to the car, and in a chaotic final lap of the first race, he went from fourth to first. However, the victory didn’t go to the 32-year-old Mexican-American driver. Suarez was awarded a five-second-penalty for making contact with defending NASCAR Brazil champion Léo Torres earlier in the race, which forced him to settle for sixth place. The penalty seemed to be harsh, especially because of how minor the contact was, a feeling that was echoed by Torres himself.

However, the second race was the one where Daniel Suarez truly tasted success. He started the race in 11th place, and despite the many on-track incidents that occurred on Interlagos, Suarez escaped unscathed. By the time night fell on the racetrack, Lucas Mendes was the first to cross the finish line but was subjected to a penalty after several on-track incidents. This meant that Daniel Suarez, who was P2 at the end of the race, went on to take the victory. However, the win wasn’t down to just him, as his wife Julia Piquet wrote on X, “Fun fact: I spotted for Daniel in both races today 😃”

Victory at Interlagos made Daniel Suarez the first driver to win in three International NASCAR Championships in the same year. The 32-year-old secured his only victory of the season in the Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this year, and he also won a race while competing in NASCAR Mexico at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. With strong results in the opening two races, Suarez was placed in the pole position for the final race at Interlagos.

The Mexican-American went wheel-to-wheel with Gabriel Casagrande and Julio Campos, widely considered two of the greatest drivers in Brazil. With three minutes remaining for the race to end, Casagrande overtook Daniel Suarez, who fought hard to regain his position. However, he ended up overdriving the entry of Turn 1 after briefly taking back his lead, which allowed Julio Campos to capitalize on the mistake and relegate Suarez to third place. While he could have realistically won all three races, Daniel Suarez was happy with the outcome in Brazil, particularly because his wife Julia Piquet was spotting for him. Julia Piquet is the daughter of Nelson Piquet Souto Maior, who is a Brazilian retired racing driver and businessman. Nelson has won the World Drivers’ Championship three times in the years 1981, 1983, and 1987. Now you know where she gets the eye for spotting. They say behind every great man is a woman, and in this case, it might just be true. And it is the first time something like this has happened in NASCAR.

Suarez hopes to compete in São Paulo once again

He may have been unlucky at Interlagos, but Daniel Suarez was all smiles after the race. Having finished no lower than P6, with one win in three races is a commendable feat, especially considering that Suarez was driving in unfamiliar conditions. Not only did he get to race against Brazil’s best, but the fact that he could go wheel-to-wheel against the likes of Casagrande and Campos will give him confidence ahead of the business end of the Cup Series season. The results in Brazil have been a learning experience for the 32-year-old, who is keen to return to Interlagos for another NASCAR adventure.

Speaking after the third race at Interlagos, Daniel Suarez said, “It was a very entertaining race. Casagrande and Campos, they are great drivers, they did a great job. The race was fun, aggressive, but fun. I enjoyed it. I wanted to be a little bit faster to stay ahead, but they were a little bit better than me and eventually, they managed to beat me.” Reflecting on his overall experience, the 32-year-old said, “It was great, it was a lot of fun to race here at Interlagos and learn a lot about the race, about the cars, about the drivers, and about the rules too. Overall, it was a very positive weekend. I hope that one day I can come back and race again.”

It’s fair to say that Daniel Suarez’s trip to Brazil has been a memorable one, as he achieved both personal and professional milestones. The Trackhouse Racing driver will now shift his attention to the Cup Series, with the hope of achieving a strong result at Richmond Raceway. With just four races to go before the regular season ends, Suarez, who has already secured a playoff spot, will hope to finish the season strongly. Unfortunately for him, his wife Julia Piquet won’t be on spotting duties in the Cup Series, making his job even more difficult.

What are your thoughts about Daniel Suarez’s adventure in Brazil? Let us know in the comments!