Daniel Suarez had shared a heartfelt story about Kyle Busch following the biggest win of his NASCAR Cup Series career. He won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday night, three days after Busch’s sudden death at age 41.
Suarez joined Busch’s program in 2015 when he drove for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series. He had arrived from Mexico with little experience in American stock car racing and limited English and Busch extended a helping hand to him understand tracks before teams had detailed data systems.
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“Kyle and I, we used to be on the phone every single week because he was helping me, trying to understand what I needed to look for, trying to understand the racetrack. Back then we didn’t have SMT, we didn’t have data. So everything was by feel. If you had experience, you had an advantage,” Daniel Suarez said.
“He didn’t have to help me. He didn’t have to help this Mexican kid that can barely speak English. He was already a legend of the sport, and he took the time every single week to help me.”
That support changed Suarez’s career. He won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, becoming the first Mexican-born driver to claim a national series title in NASCAR history.
On Sunday, Suarez added another achievement as the first Mexican-born driver to win the Coca-Cola 600, one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races. The race ended 27 laps early after heavy rain hit Charlotte Motor Speedway and Suarez benefited from a late two-tire pit call from Spire Motorsports, which now operates from the former Kyle Busch Motorsports shop.
Suarez, who moved from Trackhouse Racing to Spire this season, dedicated the win to Busch and his family.
“Most people didn’t know that side of him. I got to know that side of him. … Honestly, because of those things, he made me want to be like him, wanting to help others, want to go give a hand to those upcoming drivers that need a hand,” Suarez added.
Busch had driven a Spire Truck to Victory Lane few days before he passed away from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.
“We always got along amazing” – Daniel Suarez on Kyle Busch and their bond
Daniel Suarez also explained that he never had any issue with Kyle Busch and shared another story of the time he got in trouble for carrying a gun at Cancun International Airport in Mexico.
“Kyle is one of the few drivers out there that I never had an issue with. We always got along amazing. One time he got in trouble in Cancun, and he called me, Samantha called me. After the race in Mexico City, we partied together. He came to my party. Like I just love the guy. He was an amazing person,” Daniel Suarez said.
Last Sunday, Suarez won the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 with 27 laps left. He made a late pit call for two tires, held off Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin on the final restarts, and stayed in front when the rain returned. The win was his third in Cup and his first crown-jewel victory.
Edited by Palak Gupta
