Thankfulness for family remained a theme for two NASCAR champions Monday night. One for the strong racing upbringing in pastoral Wisconsin that has sustained him over the course of a veteran’s career; the other for the family that encouraged a young star to leave his Mexican homeland to chase his racing dreams in America. Both Daniel Suarez and Johnny Sauter were honored for their crowning accomplishments Monday in the NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series awards gala at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. Their recognition came just days after each sealed their first NASCAR titles during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Elliott Sadler (XFINITY) and Tyler Reddick (Trucks) received the Most Popular Driver Award for each series, graciously thanking fans and their teams for their support. Joe Gibbs Racing’s #19 Toyota team (XFINITY) and Kyle Busch Motorsports’ #9 Toyota operation (Trucks) were toasted with team owner championships.
Suarez entertained the packed ballroom with stories about the challenges of moving to the United States, learning to break the language barrier while becoming more adept with the nuances of racing and automotive skills. But Suarez also told the crowd about coming of age and becoming more independent in his life in America while his family cheered from afar back home. Saturday, his parents were both at the track for the first time ever to watch him race in the USA. But the gravity of his victory resonated beyond international borders, with Suarez receiving a congratulatory tweet from the president of Mexico as part of the overwhelming reaction. ‘It really means a lot. As you guys can imagine, it was really a huge deal in Mexico and Latin America,’ Suarez said after his speech. ‘Everyone was super, super excited about what happened. It was something historic. It was just something that a lot of people were waiting for and finally we got it done. It was something really cool. I’m ready to come back to Mexico and celebrate with some of my friends down there that didn’t get an opportunity to come to my race here in Homestead. I’m just very, very blessed.’(NASCAR.com)(11-22-2016)
