Daniel Suárez to drive NASCAR Mexico Series race at LA Coliseum

Daniel Suárez is gearing up for an exciting return to his racing roots as he prepares for the 2024 season. The NASCAR Cup Series veteran is set to make a comeback in the NASCAR Mexico Series, participating in the division’s upcoming exhibition race at the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Suárez secured the coveted spot as a special guest driver for this event and will be driving the entry provided by Jimmy Morales, with the experienced crew chief, José Blasco-Figueroa, calling the shots.

As he enters his eighth year in NASCAR’s highest tier, Suárez is revisiting the place where he made a significant impact on the stock-car racing scene. During his five full-time seasons in the Mexico Series, he amassed an impressive record of 10 wins, 26 top-five finishes, and 39 top-ten finishes in 76 starts. His remarkable performance in 2013 earned him a runner-up finish in the points standings.

Hailing from Monterrey, Mexico, Suárez further solidified his racing career by clinching the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship with Joe Gibbs Racing before transitioning to the Cup Series full-time in 2017. Driving the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, the 31-year-old achieved a historic milestone in 2022 by becoming the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway. This achievement puts him in an exclusive club alongside only four other drivers born outside the United States who have tasted victory at the Cup level: Australia’s Marcos Ambrose, Colombia’s Juan Pablo Montoya, Italian-born Mario Andretti, and Canadian Earl Ross.

The upcoming Busch Light Clash at the LA Coliseum, scheduled for Sunday, February 4th at 8 p.m. ET (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), marks the event’s third edition at this iconic venue. However, 2024 will witness the NASCAR Mexico Series making its debut at the historic arena, featuring 21 other competitive drivers who will race prior to the Cup Series’ first exhibition of the new season.

The Coliseum will witness the participation of defending and two-time Mexico Series champion Salvador de Alba Jr., alongside four-time series champion Rubén García Jr. and Andrés Pérez de Lara, both of whom reached the Championship 4 in the previous season. Max Gutiérrez, who narrowly missed advancing to the final round in 2023, has been active across various NASCAR series, including the Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, and NASCAR Mexico Series. He returns to the Mexico Series for this special event.

In conjunction with Suárez’s return, Quaker State has announced an extension of their sponsorship with Suárez and Trackhouse Racing. Quaker State will take on the role of the primary sponsor for Suárez and the No. 99 team at Richmond Raceway (March 31), Darlington Raceway (May 12), and the playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Sept. 8). Additionally, Quaker State will serve as the primary sponsor for Suárez’s entry in the Mexico Series event at the LA Coliseum.

The thrilling King Taco la Batalla en El Coliseo is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. ET at the LA Memorial Coliseum, promising an action-packed evening of racing excitement.