Suarez Captures Third Career Win In Rain-Shortened Coca-Cola 600

On an emotion-filled week for the NASCAR community, there was a very fitting winner of the first Cup race since the passing of Kyle Busch in Daniel Suarez.

Daniel Suarez and his wife, Julia, share a warm embrace in Charlotte Motor Speedway's Victory Lane after a rain-shortened win in the Coca-Cola 600. | Matt Marrie | Racing America On SI

CONCORD, N.C. -- On a heartbreaking week, where the NASCAR community suffered the death of Kyle Busch, the winningest driver in the history of the NASCAR National Series divisions, it was fitting that Daniel Suarez, a driver who Busch once heavily tutored, came out on top.

"The very first thing that came to my mind was Kyle [Busch]," Suarez said in his post-race press conference when asked what he thought of when he secured the win. "And we all know that this has been a difficult week and weekend for all of us; drivers, team owners, media, fans, most importantly, his family."

Also fittingly, Suarez's Spire Motorsports team fields its program from the building that used to house Busch's Kyle Busch Motorsports team.

With the Busch Family making its first public appearance since Busch's tragic death on Thursday during the pre-race ceremonies at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Suarez said the emotions continued to ratchet up going into Sunday's race.

"There were so many emotions today, you know? Seeing Samantha today for the first time, it totally broke my heart," Suarez explained. "I saw Brexton as well, and for a split second, I grabbed him and I gave him a kiss on his head. You know, there were so many emotions. I felt like when I jumped into the car, I wasn't ready to drive."

Suarez was able to claim the lead late in the race on a strategy call from his crew chief Ryan Sparks.

On the next two restarts, Suarez would fend off Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, and Tyler Reddick, three drivers who combined to lead 63.8% of the race's laps. With weather threatening, and the Toyota trio breathing down his neck, Suarez held the lead of the race as the hardest rain of a weekend filled with precipitation began to fall.

NASCAR, which was hopeful to get the race restarted for the final 27 laps of the scheduled distance, would call Suarez, and the rest of the field to pit road for a red flag period. Moments after the field came to a stop, the rain intensified, and it became clear that significant track drying time would be required to get the final laps in.

Mother Nature forced NASCAR to call the race complete, and as a result, Suarez was awarded his third career NASCAR Cup Series victory. Suarez's first career crown jewel race win came on a day when he and his No. 7 Spire Motorsports team suffered a lot of adversity.

"This is not coincidence. The stars aligned. And even today, also, it wasn't easy," Suarez said. "We had a loose wheel, we had a flat tire, we had everything. We had so much adversity, but I knew my car was fast. I knew it yesterday, but we never really got to show it. So, super proud of my team. Super proud of my pit crew."

In a fierce battle for the runner-up spot behind Suarez, it was Bell, who snatched the spot from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin.

"I just felt really confident that those last few restarts I could really get some speed going. It was just a matter of who could clear between me and [Bell], and we couldn’t clear each other, and it would buy [Suarez] some extra time.”

Hamlin continued, “It was really unfortunate. But rain, nothing we can do about it.”

Tyler Reddick, another Toyota racer, who led a race-high 119 laps, would be credited with a fourth-place finish.

Mother Nature dealt a tough blow to Toyota Racing, which led a total of 289 of the 373 laps in Sunday night's race. Blame it on the rain.

Kyle Larson, without the logistical nightmare of the Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 double to worry about this year recorded a top-five finish with a fifth-place effort.

Ty Gibbs, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, William Byron, and Zane Smith rounded out the top-10 finishers in the Coca-Cola 600.

Austin Hill, who was handed the high-pressure task of driving Kyle Busch's Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in this event, finished 27th, one lap off the pace in the renumbered No. 33 Chevrolet.

While Larson didn't attempt 'The Double' this year, Katherine Legge was able to become the sixth driver in history, and the first female competitor to ever compete in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

Legge, which saw her Indy 500 bid end with a crash on Lap 18, finished 31st in the Coca-Cola 600 after suffering from a detached wheel early in the event. Legge would complete 361 of the 373 laps in the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet.