NASCAR has seen an influx of international drivers in recent seasons, including some former Formula 1 drivers. If Daniel Suarez's efforts pay off, a three-time champion will make his way to stock car racing within the next few years.
Who is that driver? Max Verstappen, a 61-time Grand Prix winner who currently competes for Red Bull Racing.
"Max is an amazing race car driver as well now, and he's doing amazing things in Formula One," Suarez told media members last weekend at Daytona. "He loves Formula One, but he's not going to be there for a super long time, because he likes to explore different things.
"And I talked to him about NASCAR, and he will be open for discussions once he's done with Formula One. So that could be in a handful of years, that can be in three years, that can be in eight years."
As Suarez said, he will be ready to do his best to convince Verstappen to take on NASCAR "when the time is right."
The two drivers race in different series and hail from different parts of the world. Yet, their paths have crossed over the years. Verstappen's partner, Kelly Piquet, is siblings with Suarez's wife, Julia. The two racers also spent the holidays with the Piquet family down in Brazil last year.
Merry Christmas from Brazil, amigos! 🇧🇷 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/dN2wN13Bmp
— Daniel Suárez (@Daniel_SuarezG) December 25, 2023
To Suarez's point, Verstappen is a young racer. He is only 26 years old, so plenty of time remains for him to continue pursuing World Drivers' Championships in Formula One. It also likely pushes back the date when he would potentially make his NASCAR debut.
When that time comes -- if it does -- the ties with Suarez could play a role.
The two-time Cup Series winner currently drives for Trackhouse Racing, a team that has helped multiple international NASCAR drivers make their debuts through the Project91 program.
Former Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen was the first to join Trackhouse Racing. He made his debut at Watkins Glen International in 2022 and then he returned to the No. 91 Chevrolet at Circuit of the Americas last season.
Project91 returned for the inaugural Cup race on the streets of Chicago last season. Three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen was in control of the car, and he used it to win the race. SVG also finished 10th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway's road course later that season.
Trackhouse Racing announced at Daytona last weekend that van Gisbergen will move full-time to the Cup Series while the organization expands to three cars. He will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet.
Project91's story is not yet over, however. Team owner Justin Marks said in a press release that the entry will return in 2025.