CONCORD, N.C. — Daniel Suarez kicked off the weekend talking about the impact that Kyle Busch made on his NASCAR career. He ended it by winning his first crown jewel race and dedicating it to his former teammate, who passed away at the age of 41.
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Suarez won the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 late on Sunday night, his first win since moving to Spire Motorsports and taking over the No. 7 Chevrolet.
MORE: Coca-Cola 600 Results
"It really means a lot," Suarez told Prime Video's Marty Smith. "I've been saying for years this is my favorite race of the year. I get to have my family here, every year. This is most of the time the only race they get to come.
"It's been a very tough week. Kyle, he was special, man. This win is for Kyle. For Kyle, for Samantha, for Brexton, for Lennix, for all his family. This is very special. Every win is very special, but definitely this one has a special flavor because of Kyle."
A moment Daniel Suárez will never forget ❤️ pic.twitter.com/YPpCSYULBd
— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) May 25, 2026
Suarez didn't have the dominant car at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday night. He actually had multiple issues to overcome.
He had a loose wheel that forced an unscheduled pit stop and dropped him one lap down in the opening stage. He then had another unscheduled pit stop due to a troublesome vibration.
Despite these issues, Suarez rebounded. He and the No. 7 team continued working, and they moved into the top 10 during the final stage. They then used a two-tire pit stop to gain the needed track position and clean air.
The job didn't end once Suarez got clean air. He had to hold off the field on multiple restarts due to a lightning strike and then rainfall. He took the lead for good on the final restart after getting a big push from behind.
This cleared him long enough until heavy rain hit the track and brought the race to an end on Lap 373 of 400. At that point, he could climb out of the car and celebrate a crown jewel win with his team.
But first, he pointed to the skies while honoring Busch's memory.
Spire Motorsports celebrates a crown jewel win. McDowell’s crew also ran over to join in. pic.twitter.com/tBMvX7kSZH
— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) May 25, 2026
