Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Coca-Cola 600 Race Advance

The four-stage race is the longest of the season and likely the hottest so far in the 2022 season.

Suárez will drink lots of liquids, eat well and get plenty of rest in the days approaching the race, but his preparation for 600 miles at Charlotte began long ago with a rigorous workout regimen.

Suárez hopes his physical conditioning will be a key advantage late in the race that begins in sunlight at 6 p.m. ET and ends in late-evening darkness.

He brings a good deal of momentum to Charlotte after winning the Open race and finishing fifth in the All-Star race Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The No. 99 team hopes that speed will translate to the Charlotte oval on Sunday.

Suárez Will Honor Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover

Daniel Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet will carry the name of Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover on the windshield this weekend in Charlotte.

Hoover, 31, served in the United States Marine Corps for 11 years. He was among the 13 American troops killed in a suicide bombing in August 26, 2021 near Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport.

Darin Taylor Hoover

Thirteen U.S. service members – 11 Marines, a Navy corpsman and an Army soldier – and at least 169 Afghan people died in the bombing attack, which unfolded as American and allied forces were scrambling to evacuate people from Afghanistan, before the Aug. 31 date for completing the withdrawal of U.S. forces at the end of the 20-year war.

Hoover was stationed with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment at Camp Horno, a camp at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego, Calif., home of the 1^st Marine Regiment.

Hoover was serving his third tour of duty in Afghanistan.

As part of NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola, NASCAR and Coca-Cola will again host Gold Star Families Sunday with all 40 NASCAR Cup Series cars featuring the name of a fallen service member on the windshield during the Coca-Cola 600.

Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 99 CommScope Chevrolet Camaro

What is the key to success in such a long race as the Coca-Cola 600?

“As a driver, your goal is to be as fresh at the end of the race as you are at the beginning. That’s important. It isn’t about making it to the end of the race. It’s about being at your best at the end and taking advantage of other drivers who are tired.”

Do you take momentum from the Open victory and fifth-place finish in the All-Star Race in Texas?

“Of course. Whenever you win it is fun and builds confidence, but knowing we have a similar track this weekend in Charlotte makes you wish the race were sooner than Sunday.”

How do you prepare for Sunday?

“As a human being you try and perform at 100 percent the entire time, but when you’re running a marathon you’re not going to be as strong in the last 30 minutes. That’s normal. Fatigue is setting in, your muscles are tired, you’re running out of fluid, and you’re hungry. Racing is the same way, especially in the Coca-Cola 600. We start running out of energy and you’re mind gets tired after four hours of racing. But I look to this race as a marathon and you have to be on top of your game for the last part of this race. So I always try to keep that in my mind when I’m in the car. This isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

What hurts the most after the race?

“It’s a combination of things. Your neck is tired, your lower back is tired, legs are tired and you’re just fatigued. You definitely feel it the next morning after a 600-mile race. You feel like you worked out a lot the day before, and you did inside the car. Two-and-a-half of these 600-mile races and I could be home in Monterrey, Mexico. It’s crazy to think of it that way.”

Is it important to stay in shape?

“Working out is a lifestyle for me. I like to feel well and it helps me in the racecar, but it also helps me mentally. You lose a lot of weight in the racecar, and you have to be strong not only at the start of the race, but also at the end of the race. At the end of the day, you don’t win a race at the beginning when everyone is fresh, you win the race at the end when everyone is tired, and I feel like being in shape gives me that advantage at the end.”