Cronkite News offers an audio version of this story using an automated voice created by AI. Errors in pronunciation, pacing and intonation may occur. If you notice an error please contact cronkitenews@asu.edu.
AVONDALE – Fans of Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano were all loud and proud at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, but there was one racer whose fans stood out from the crowd: Daniel Suárez.
The Freeway Insurance 500 was an important race for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, but one of the biggest storylines of the weekend was the throngs of Hispanic and Latino fans in attendance, showing support for the sport. And Suárez.
According to NASCAR, in 2024, 26% of fans were defined as multicultural. That number has grown throughout the years, but further growth remains a top priority.
“NASCAR wants to grow diversity, inclusion, multicultural efforts internationally,” Suárez said. “For me, it’s very important to continue to represent and continue to be there for NASCAR for communities.”
Suárez, the Monterrey, Mexico-born driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet, is one of two full-time international drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 34-year-old has made history throughout his NASCAR tenure. In 2016, he won the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship, and in 2022 he became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race.
Daniel Suárez passes Turn 4 during the NASCAR Cup Series Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona on Oct. 18, 2026. (Photo by Zina Garcia/Cronkite News)
His success and history-making efforts have brought him a wealth of fans, especially in Phoenix. They were on full display Sunday at the racetrack with fans wearing shirts, jackets, caps and one sporting a sombrero while dressed as a taco.
“There are a lot of Latinos here,” Suárez said. “It has always meant a lot to race here in Phoenix, Arizona already for many years. So it’s always a lot of fun to come here.”
It is no secret that Latinos and Hispanics love sports. An analysis from Fast Company on that sports market in the United States found that 94% of Hispanic males identify as sports fans, with 56% of them describing themselves as “avid” fans.
Many of those “avid” fans were on display at Phoenix Raceway.
“Latino people always support Latino people, so I think it’s part of our own culture,” said Saúl Valle, a NASCAR fan of 22 years. “I think if we saw a Mexican doing something good, we’re gonna cheer him up.”
Valle’s first time at a racetrack was on Sunday. He became a Suárez fan after learning of all the hardships that brought him to the Cup Series. Valle was one of many to cheer on the No. 7 car as he finished in seventh place, the eighth top-10 finish for Suárez.
Another set of fans, father and daughter Rudy and Adriana Chavez, were big fans of NASCAR before Suárez entered the Cup Series, but after learning more about Suárez and where he comes from, they were ready to follow.
“I don’t really like the machismo mentality that some drivers have,” Chavez said. “He’s really down-to-earth, just a good person. So (it) really brought me in as a fan, and then seeing someone from the same heritage is really cool, too.”
For Adriana, as a younger fan than her father, she not only follows the sport by going in person, but also keeps up with what is going on via social media. She sees how Suárez is continuing to build the sport not only through the older generation of NASCAR fans, but also for people like her.
“A lot of younger people are getting into NASCAR, I think because of him and a few other racers,” Chavez said. “The fact that he’s really in tune with his culture is really bringing a lot of us into it.”
One of the biggest events surrounding the expansion of NASCAR in Hispanic and Latino communities was the “Daniel’s Amigos” initiative at Chicago’s Harrison Park. Chavez received an invitation and loved her time there. These initiatives and Suárez taking the time to attend events in Phoenix, such as the fan fest showcases, are just some of what he and NASCAR are doing for the community.
As more and more Latinos become NASCAR fans, Suárez will continue to be the face of a population of people who love sports. He was recently extended at Spire Motorsports for next season.
Suárez wants to make history for Latinos. It’s personal.
“It’s a lot of fun for me to be able to represent my community and the Spanish-speaking people,” Suárez said. “It’s my biggest pride.”
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2026/10/19/daniel-suarez-nascar-latino-hispanic-fans/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org”>Cronkite News</a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<img src=”https://i0.wp.com/cronkitenews.azpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/favicon1.png?resize=85%2C85&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”>
<img id=”republication-tracker-tool-source” src=”https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=107261″ style=”width:1px;height:1px;”><script> PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: “https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2026/10/19/daniel-suarez-nascar-latino-hispanic-fans/”, urlref: window.location.href }); } } </script> <script id=”parsely-cfg” src=”//cdn.parsely.com/keys/cronkitenews.azpbs.org/p.js”></script>
Canonical Tag:
Copy Tag
Article Content:
‘It’s my biggest pride’: NASCAR’s Daniel Suárez helping build Latino, Hispanic fan bases
Niall Rosenberg, Cronkite News
October 19, 2026
Cronkite News offers an audio version of this story using an automated voice created by AI. Errors in pronunciation, pacing and intonation may occur. If you notice an error please contact cronkitenews@asu.edu.AVONDALE – Fans of Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano were all loud and proud at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, but there was one racer whose fans stood out from the crowd: Daniel Suárez.
The Freeway Insurance 500 was an important race for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, but one of the biggest storylines of the weekend was the throngs of Hispanic and Latino fans in attendance, showing support for the sport. And Suárez.
According to NASCAR, in 2024, 26% of fans were defined as multicultural. That number has grown throughout the years, but further growth remains a top priority.
“NASCAR wants to grow diversity, inclusion, multicultural efforts internationally,” Suárez said. “For me, it’s very important to continue to represent and continue to be there for NASCAR for communities.”
Suárez, the Monterrey, Mexico-born driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet, is one of two full-time international drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 34-year-old has made history throughout his NASCAR tenure. In 2016, he won the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship, and in 2022 he became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race.
His success and history-making efforts have brought him a wealth of fans, especially in Phoenix. They were on full display Sunday at the racetrack with fans wearing shirts, jackets, caps and one sporting a sombrero while dressed as a taco.
“There are a lot of Latinos here,” Suárez said. “It has always meant a lot to race here in Phoenix, Arizona already for many years. So it’s always a lot of fun to come here.”
It is no secret that Latinos and Hispanics love sports. An analysis from Fast Company on that sports market in the United States found that 94% of Hispanic males identify as sports fans, with 56% of them describing themselves as “avid” fans.
Many of those “avid” fans were on display at Phoenix Raceway.
“Latino people always support Latino people, so I think it’s part of our own culture,” said Saúl Valle, a NASCAR fan of 22 years. “I think if we saw a Mexican doing something good, we’re gonna cheer him up.”
Valle’s first time at a racetrack was on Sunday. He became a Suárez fan after learning of all the hardships that brought him to the Cup Series. Valle was one of many to cheer on the No. 7 car as he finished in seventh place, the eighth top-10 finish for Suárez.
Another set of fans, father and daughter Rudy and Adriana Chavez, were big fans of NASCAR before Suárez entered the Cup Series, but after learning more about Suárez and where he comes from, they were ready to follow.
“I don’t really like the machismo mentality that some drivers have,” Chavez said. “He’s really down-to-earth, just a good person. So (it) really brought me in as a fan, and then seeing someone from the same heritage is really cool, too.”
For Adriana, as a younger fan than her father, she not only follows the sport by going in person, but also keeps up with what is going on via social media. She sees how Suárez is continuing to build the sport not only through the older generation of NASCAR fans, but also for people like her.
“A lot of younger people are getting into NASCAR, I think because of him and a few other racers,” Chavez said. “The fact that he’s really in tune with his culture is really bringing a lot of us into it.”
One of the biggest events surrounding the expansion of NASCAR in Hispanic and Latino communities was the “Daniel’s Amigos” initiative at Chicago’s Harrison Park. Chavez received an invitation and loved her time there. These initiatives and Suárez taking the time to attend events in Phoenix, such as the fan fest showcases, are just some of what he and NASCAR are doing for the community.
As more and more Latinos become NASCAR fans, Suárez will continue to be the face of a population of people who love sports. He was recently extended at Spire Motorsports for next season.
Suárez wants to make history for Latinos. It’s personal.
“It’s a lot of fun for me to be able to represent my community and the Spanish-speaking people,” Suárez said. “It’s my biggest pride.”
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copy Content
Tracking snippet:
Copy Snippet