Daniel Suárez Wins NASCAR XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award
Suárez First Hispanic Driver To Win Sunoco Rookie Of The Year Award
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 21, 2015) – In what has already been an impressive first full season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, Daniel Suárez added another accolade to his resume Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway – the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award. In doing so, he became the first Mexican-born driver and the second NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D) graduate to receive the award in a NASCAR national series.
“Congratulations to Daniel and his Joe Gibbs Racing team for this great achievement,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president, racing operations. “Watching Daniel and Darrell Wallace Jr. battle throughout the season, two hard-nosed competitors, really speaks to their talent and I look forward to seeing them compete in NASCAR for years to come.”
Also a member of the 2011-2013 NASCAR Next classes, an initiative designed to identify the sport’s next generation of stars, Suárez captured the rookie honors over fellow NASCAR Next and D4D graduate Darrell Wallace Jr. The Monterrey, Mexico native made 33 starts in 2015, posting three Coors Light Pole Awards, eight top-five and 18 top-10 finishes.
“The Sunoco Rookie of the Year program has rewarded drivers for their dedication and competitive drive for more than a decade,” said Drew Kabakoff, Director Brand Marketing, Sunoco. “Daniel has shown both of those qualities and more in his NASCAR XFINITY Series rookie season and is laying the groundwork for an exciting career.”
Suárez will be officially crowned the Sunoco Rookie of the Year winner on Monday, Nov. 23 at the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards at the Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, Florida.
Be sure to watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Race – the Ford EcoBoost 400 – Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, NBCSN Hot Pass, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com and follow NASCAR at www.Facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.
Sources: Amanda Ellis/NASCAR PR