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Suarez Cops Victory And Xfinity Championship In Homestead Thriller

Daniel Suarez does championship burnout. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Daniel Suarez does a championship burnout. [Joe Jennings Photo]

By Joe Jennings

HOMESTEAD, FLA. – Daniel Suarez raced his heart out to not only win the Ford EcoBoost 300 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway but he also took home the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, outhustling Chase 4 contenders Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier and Erik Jones.

The latter trio finished third, sixth and ninth, respectively, but their finishes do not represent the intensity of the competition that prevailed throughout the 200 laps of competition.

The seventh and final caution flag on lap 192 set up a three-lap shootout. The leaders all pitted then with unheralded Cole Whitt staying out and assuming the lead on the restart. Whitt spun his wheels at the drop of the green but spun his tires quickly falling back in the field, ending up 18th.

The three challengers got bogged down and were not able to mount a challenge.

In winning, Suarez became the first Latin American driver to win a NASCAR national series championship and he’s also the first graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity to win a national title. And he became the 27th different driver to win the championship.

Driving the ARRIS Toyota Camry, Suarez won for the third time this season to go along with his 19 top five’s and 27 top 10’s.

For Joe Gibbs Racing, the accomplished team won the Xfinity Series owner’s championship for the fifth time.

Said the 24-year old champion, “I’m just so happy for my team, so happy for my family who is here and a lot of friends, the sponsors – ARRIS, Interstate Batteries, Juniper, DeWALT, Coca-Cola, Toyota – everyone who has helped for this to happen and to be here right now. And I drove my favorite car, too.”

“It’s very hard to put into words. I’m speechless right now. I’m just very proud of everyone and thankful to have the family that I have – my mom, my dad. They gave me all the tools to be here right now. They put me in a car even when we didn’t have the support or the racing background. They supported me and right now we are just living a dream.”

The finishing order was Suarez, Ty Dillon, Sadler, Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, Allgaier, Kyle Larson, Brendan Gaughan, Jones, Aric Almirola and Darrell Wallace Jr.

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