Daniel Suárez to compete in NASCAR Brasil Series during Olympic break

Although the NASCAR Cup Series will be on a multi-week break during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Daniel Suárez will use the opportunity to race in the NASCAR Brasil Series on Aug. 3-4, the driver announced Tuesday.

Suárez, 32 and current driver of the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, will race at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, also known as Interlagos, in São Paulo, Brazil. The event acts as Stage 5 of the 2024 NASCAR Brasil Series calendar, with the 2024 season finale taking place in November. The NASCAR Brasil Series was officially announced in November 2022, and the inaugural season launched in March 2023.

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“Brazil is a country that is very close to my heart. Julia (Piquet, fiancée), she‘s already from Brazil,” Suárez said during a media availability. “Her entire family is in Brazil. I‘ve been competing in Brazil since 2015, endurance races in go-karts, and I have got to know the culture, the people and the motorsport love to a different level. I‘ve been competing almost every year, pretty much, since 2015, and I love it so much. That‘s why I do it. We‘re gonna be getting married in Brazil in a couple weeks, and when I found out that they were gonna be having a NASCAR Brasil race in Interlagos on a race track that is so historic … it was a no-brainer for me. I started having some conversations with NASCAR and NASCAR Brasil, and I got the opportunity, so super excited. Very fortunate to have this opportunity.”

As Vice President, Chief International Office at NASCAR, Chad Seigler also expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity Suárez brings to the scene. To Seigler, Suárez‘s involvement not only brings more exposure for NASCAR‘s premier series but also creates a role model for those wishing to follow in the footsteps of an international star.

“Anytime we have that opportunity to really just bring that exposure internationally, it‘s huge. It‘s an opportunity from several sides,” Seigler said during a media availability. “For us, on the NASCAR side, internationally, we try to grow the brand. We try to make people have a better understanding of stock-car-style racing and NASCAR-style racing, so that‘s big for us.

“But I think another piece that is so critical is for those young drivers coming up, no different than if you‘re a driver that comes up in our weekly and touring series here in the U.S. To have that driver like Daniel in front of them to show them, if I want to go racing in the United States, there‘s a path, and there‘s a pathway there.”

Suárez — who became the first Mexican-born driver to win a Cup Series race via his victory at Sonoma Raceway in 2022 — has already had a 2024 marked with plenty of memorable moments. The Monterrey native currently possesses one win — a photo-finish triumph at Atlanta Motor Speedway — two top fives and three top 10s in the 2024 Cup Series campaign and was officially sworn in as a United States citizen in June.

However, exciting news continues for Suárez as he will marry his fiancée, Julia — the daughter of three-time Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet — a handful of days before the Interlagos contest. Suárez and Piquet were originally planning to return to the United States before the race weekend but changed plans to accommodate Suárez‘s entry in the event.

The switcheroo, however, came with open arms from Piquet, who shares just as strong of a passion for racing as her soon-to-be husband.

“When I got the invite, the very first person I had to go through was Julia,” Suárez said. “I‘m very convinced that Julia loves racing either more or the same that I do. She loves racing so much. She‘s with me at all the races, and actually, something that is very interesting is that this series, NASCAR Brasil, before it was called NASCAR Brasil a few years ago, this series came to the United States … they did a few races, and Julia got invited, and actually she raced with this series a few years ago.

“So I thought I may have to go ask for advice. We‘re super excited. It‘s going to be a lot of fun. Her brother, Nelson, her mom live in São Paulo and going to go to the race and have some fun with us.”

MORE: Suárez driver page | 2024 Cup Series schedule

Suárez and the Cup Series will next race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

The circuit will then return to action at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 11 (6 p.m. ET, USA, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).