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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez will compete next month in the sanctioning body’s Brasil Series Special Edition tournament that runs parallel to its main competition in Brazil.
The Cup series will take a two-week break during the Paris Summer Olympics. Suarez — who stands 17th in Cup points and clinched a playoff spot with a thrillingly close victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February, will drive a Chevy Camaro Aug. 2-4 at Autódromo José Carlos Pace, better known as Interlagos, a release stated Tuesday.
The 32-year-old Monterrey, Mexico, native will be in Brazil celebrating his wedding to Julia Piquet and will race in São Paulo before returning to the United States, the release added.
The 2016 Xfinity Series champion competed in a similar international event earlier this year in NASCAR’s Mexico Series race at the L.A. Coliseum, where he won his first start since 2014. He welcomed the chance to compete in and support the series during Cup’s hiatus and said he hoped to have fun while bringing attention from outside Brazil.
“Not only is this an opportunity to try something new,” Suarez added, “but with my fiancée’s family roots in Brazil, it gives me a chance to race in a place that she calls home.”
The special edition format differs from the main championship with qualifying and a race Saturday followed by two races Sunday. Qualifying determines the starting order for the first two races, with average results from those determining starting order for the final race.
Suarez holds dual citizenship after taking an oath last month to become a U.S. citizen.