Fueling the American Dream
Jockey-sponsored Trackhouse Racing driver, Daniel Suárez, personifies the American dream through his steadfast dedication to family and community values, reflecting the essence of what it means to be made in America.
“Nunca te rindas en tus sueños.” Never give up on your dreams.
“‘Well, do you want to be a professional race car driver now?’ I looked at him and said, ‘I already am one.’”
- Daniel Suárez
Growing up in Nuevo Leòn’s industrial capital city, Daniel’s father owned a classic car restoration shop, where Daniel spent his childhood helping out—immersed in the sounds of revving car engines, the fragrance of rubber tires and leather upholstery juxtaposed against the majesty of the western Sierra Madres and the city’s baroque architecture. One day, a customer noticed Daniel lingering in the shop and extended an invitation to come watch the local drivers at a nearby racetrack. That afternoon unfolded into another, and before long Daniel had hopped the track’s fence and—at age 11—sat behind the wheel and hit the gas. “I remember that feeling like it was yesterday…it’s the day that changed my life.” Coming home that afternoon, he recalls his father half-joking, “‘Well, do you want to be a professional race car driver now?’ I looked at him and said, ‘I already am one.’”
“I credit my family and their support as my superpower. They are why I am here today…”
- Daniel Suárez
In the 20 years since, Daniel has dedicated his life to racing at all costs and despite all odds. When he moved to the United States, totally on his own and speaking barely any English, he plunged into a culture that felt worlds away from his mother’s homemade pollo de caldo. Yet he could feel the passion exploding out of him. “Part of it was discipline, part of it was working hard,” he explains, “But there’s another part of my drive that is deep inside me. I credit my family and their support as my superpower. They are why I am here today — the sacrifices they made so I could do what I was born to do.”
“I surround myself with a team that supports me…and with reminders of my heritage and where I came from.”
- Daniel Suárez
To Daniel, life in America has offered an ever-evolving canvas, a place where culture is not etched in stone but rather reflects the individuals who are realizing their dreams within its boundaries. “I love living in America—and I speak Spanish every day and always look for ways to be in close connection with my family in Mexico. To me, living [in the U.S.] means being connected to two parts of myself. I surround myself with a team that supports me…and with reminders of my heritage and where I came from.”
“It is a huge responsibility to be in this position. I feel what it means to be a role model for both people in the US and for [individuals from] Mexico.”
- Daniel Suárez
Rather than drawing comparisons between cultures, Daniel is quick to call out the beauty that comes from blurring the lines. “It is a huge responsibility to be in this position,” he shares. “I feel what it means to be a role model for both people in the US and for [individuals from] Mexico. Maybe they are living here now, or maybe like me they are imagining what it’s like to live in America and chase a dream. I take that very seriously.” He makes it a point to hold both sides of his identity with pride, speaking specifically to his young Hispanic fans—lovingly nicknamed “Daniel’s Amigos”—who uniquely connect with Suárez’s story and representation of the Hispanic and Latino communities.
“If I could come to this country with nothing and be successful, anyone can.”
- Daniel Suárez
He also regards himself as a metric of this evolution within
the American racing world, one which has come to reflect more
of a diverse mix of perspectives in recent years. “It is part of my job and my
responsibility to represent change,” says Daniel. “If I could come to
this country with nothing and be successful, anyone can.”
Whether he’s talking about racing or chasing a dream, for
Daniel it comes back to celebrating the journey. “Obviously
when you win, or when you are successful, everyone knows
about it. But most people don’t know about the path that
brought you there. The win is public, but the journey is
yours alone. I try to always see the beauty in that.”