Daniel Suárez receives special American flag as gift after earning citizenship

LONG POND, Pa. — Daniel Suárez received a gift he will never forget this week.

On July 12, Suárez revealed he was sent an American flag that was certified to have flown over the United States Capitol to commemorate Suárez’s recent U.S. citizenship.

The flag was sent via Jim Cassidy, a former executive at NASCAR who worked with the sport for over two decades, most recently as the sport’s chief international officer before departing in 2019.

“Not a lot of people know this, but I have a great relationship with Jim Cassidy, an ex-executive of NASCAR,” Suárez said Saturday at Pocono Raceway. “And he sent me this gift, which I had no idea exactly what it was. And then when I opened it and I read the paper on the flag where it was flown, it was very emotional, especially because I opened that gift and I opened a few packages I got and received at the house — and the very next package was my American passport.

“So I opened the flag and my American passport within a minute of each other. I got goosebumps right now because it was a special (moment). I was alone in the house, so nobody knew. Nobody knew what was happening but myself, so it was a special moment for myself.”

Suárez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, was sworn in as a United States citizen on June 18, 12 years after coming to the USA to pursue his racing dreams. That the driver of the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet was gifted such a unique and meaningful present — dated on his first Independence Day as an American citizen — only added to the meaning behind receiving the flag.