DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As a native of Mexico, rookie Daniel Suárez has had a lot of firsts in NASCAR.
Two years ago, he became the first driver of Latino descent to race full-time in the XFINITY Series, then the first Mexican-born driver to win a race in the series and, at the end of the 2016 season when he claimed the XFINITY Series championship, he was the first foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR national series title.
Suárez said these firsts are “obviously a very big deal to him,” as well as his fans in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. He’s proud of his heritage and grateful for his support at home as he advances to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, starting with the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
So what does the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing driver think when he hears about a potential border wall between the United States and Mexico?
AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
“I think we will have to build a ladder – that’s it,” he told For The Win on Wednesday, with a short laugh. “Honestly, I don’t like politics, and I don’t get into that deal, but I guess that’s the answer.”
Often asked about the current political climate – especially President Donald Trump’s proposal to build a wall and forcing Mexico to pay for it – Suárez has consistently said he doesn’t care for politics.
He told USA TODAY Sports earlier this year:
“I don’t follow politics. I don’t have any interest in politics, either. This country has given me all the tools to be successful in racing and to be able to do what I love, to do every single weekend. For me that’s great.
“Things can change super-fast in politics and if somebody has plans to do something, he better have the right reasons. And that can change any moment. I don’t really feel uncomfortable. I’m here for racing and NASCAR and racing has been nothing but great to me.”
Suárez is part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, which pushes to attract minority and female drives to various roles within auto racing. He said he’s excited to contribute to the sport’s diversity and build on his already successful career.
“It’s great, honestly, to be part of the diversity program, and to come and get to this point I think is really good and to be able to be the face of Latin America,” he said. “That’s a big deal for me, so hopefully I can do it the right way, and do it for a long time.”
