Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Coca-Cola 600 Race Advance

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 the 1.5-mile quad-oval track began long ago with a rigorous workout regimen.

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

The Monterrey, Mexico native knows this Memorial Day weekend is about more than just racing. While not a citizen, Suárez has always honored the men and women of America who gave their lives for the country – a country that gave him his opportunity to live out his dreams as a NASCAR driver.

His victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June made Suárez just one of five drivers not born in the United States to win at Cup Series race. 

“The Coca-Cola 600 is a very special race for many different reasons,” Suárez said. “We get to remember all the people that have paid the ultimate sacrifice and give us the freedoms we have in the most amazing country in the world. I come from a different country. To come here and enjoy these freedoms, to enjoy what I am able to do, it’s not by magic.” 

He’d love nothing better than to win his second Cup Series race at the Charlotte track located just a few miles from his Trackhouse Racing team’s race shop. 

Suárez arrives at Charlotte after finishing seventh in Sunday’s 39th-annual NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. His pit crew’s quick stop Friday helped him win his heat race Saturday and he led 55 laps in Sunday’s All-Star race.

His No. 99 will carry the red, white and blue Jockey paint scheme Sunday. 

The Jockey partnership with Trackhouse began last year and was the first such team sponsorship in the 147-year history of the apparel brand. At the core of the partnership was the launch of the brand’s Made in America* Collection – an effort aimed at delivering premium quality product, support reshoring American manufacturing jobs, supporting families and farmers in local communities, and providing a more sustainable option for American consumers.  

Fox will broadcast Sunday’s race at 6 p.m. EDT.

Did you gain momentum at North Wilkesboro?

“The No. 99 team has had a lot of speed lately, but we haven’t had the execution and the results. We’ve been very tough on ourselves. It was good to go to North Wilkesboro, get the pole with the pit crew, win our heat race, lead a bunch of laps and have a lot of fun. Hopefully, we can keep it going this weekend in the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday.”

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.”

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.”

Suarez’s No. 99 To Carry Name of Capt. Dennis Michael White

The name of U.S. Air Force Capt. Dennis Michael White will adorn Daniel Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 as part of NASCAR’s 600 Miles of Remembrance honoring members of the military who made the ultimate sacrifice.

White, 34, of Lees Summit, Missouri, died on April 18, 1995 in an accident off the coast of North Carolina.

White, a weapons systems officer with the 336th Fighter Squadron, was killed when the F-15E in which he was flying went down off the North Carolina coast April 18, 1995. The aircraft was part of a four-ship mission that was conducting air-to-air intercept training when the F-15E went down about 10 p.m.

White was a veteran of Desert Storm. He had a total of 2,200 flying hours. His decorations included the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters.

Many of the honored soldiers’ family members will be in attendance Sunday in Charlotte including White’s daugther Sarah White Duncan who was one of the first recipients of the scholarship fund created by the Folds of Honor Foundation.