No. 99 CommScope Chevrolet driver Daniel Suárez has a simple goal for Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
JUST WIN!
For Suárez to make the 16-driver, 10 race NASCAR playoffs, that begins Sept. 5 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, he needs to win Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400.
If recent history is any indication, he has a good shot at making that happen.
The Trackhouse Racing driver led two laps in his qualifying race for the Daytona 500 in February and ran second on the final lap at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April.
Suárez has led 30 laps in eight career starts at Daytona.
In addition to all that is on the line Saturday night, Suarez is going to play a role in helping race fans realize the physical demands of racing in Daytona.
Suárez will carry a Whoop Strap 3.0 during Saturday’s race. NBC will broadcast the data during its coverage giving fans an idea of a driver’s heart rate, calorie burn and a strain score.
He thinks it will give fans a new perspective on what driver’s go through during a race. The NBC broadcast begins at 7 p.m. EDT Saturday.
Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 99 CommScope Chevrolet Camaro
What are your thoughts on Daytona?
“Daytona is going to be fun. Superspeedways are a lot of fun. Actually, I enjoy that type of racing now. I didn’t always like it, but now I do. Hopefully we can have a good, strong weekend.”
Is there more pressure Saturday night?
“No more pressure than any other race. We want to win every weekend. Our team knows what it has to do. We have been working to be more consistent and put ourselves in the right position. We know we can win this race. Even after Saturday night we still have three months of racing left and we are going to keep working and improving.”
Has your season been a success even if you don’t make the playoffs?
“We are proud of what we have done this year. It has been a little bit of a struggle of late, but we are in a good position for the future. We keep growing and getting better and we are looking forward to continuing on that path. As you know (team owner) Justin (Marks) has a lot of exciting plans for 2022 by getting us bigger and stronger and I see good things for us. I believe that we will win.”
What do you hope fans learn about racing Saturday night when you carry the Whoop strap?
“I think they will find it very interesting. I have worn a Whoop strap in the car in a lot of races this season and was surprised at how high my heart rate was. I think people will find it fascinating to see our calorie burn and strain plus things like that. I think it will show people who aren’t familiar with our sport the physical exertions it takes to race.”
What does owner Justin Marks do for Trackhouse?
“He does so much for us. He knows exactly what he wants to do with Trackhouse Racing and where he wants to go. He is very hungry and wants us so badly to be successful. I feel like I am in a very good spot. Because he is a race car driver himself, he understands what I want and need plus he is very good with our sponsors and employees. He has us really looking forward to the future. I think bringing Ross Chastain in next year in a second car will make us better. He is a great driver and will make me better.”
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
