The legacy and spirit of fallen United States Army Sergeant Martin Anthony Lugo Jr. led Daniel Suárez to victory in one of NASCAR’s most monumental events of the year, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Sgt. Lugo Jr.’s name was adorned on the front of Suárez’s windshield in observance of Memorial Day.
A moment Daniel Suárez will never forget ❤️ pic.twitter.com/YPpCSYULBd
— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) May 25, 2026
The honoring is part of NASCAR’s 600 Miles of Remembrance, an annual Memorial Day weekend tradition where each of the 39 race cars honors a specific hero across all branches of the American military who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country with their name on the top of the windshield, where the driver’s name typically resides.
As a highly decorated Ranger from Tucson, Sgt. Lugo served as a Squad Leader with Company C, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. During his six combat deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, Sgt. Lugo received the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart, and numerous additional awards recognizing his courage, leadership, and dedication to his fellow soldiers and his country.
Sgt. Lugo was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action during Operation Enduring Freedom after leading his team under heavy enemy fire and saving the lives of five fellow soldiers.
Nothing beats it.@Daniel_SuarezG | @Freeway_Ins pic.twitter.com/awyGf94N13
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) May 24, 2026
The Coke 600, formerly known as the World 600, has long been one of NASCAR’s most valuable races to win, the longest race on the schedule, and is elevated with tributes to America’s fallen service members each year. This year’s Memorial Day weekend tributes also honor America’s 250th anniversary as the NASCAR Salutes 250 Together with Coca-Cola.
A roller-coaster day ended in a victory lane celebration for the 34-year-old. Suárez only led 17 of the 373 rain-shortened laps. Midway through NASCAR’s longest race of the year, Suárez found himself mired in the back of the field and falling a lap down to the leaders. A pair of unscheduled pit stops due to vibrations looked to make his efforts fruitless to claim a crown jewel victory.
After battling back onto the lead lap, NASCAR threw a caution flag due to lightning in the area. Suárez’s crew chief Ryan Sparks and his Spire Motorsports team took a massive gamble with rain showers looming near the North Carolina track to place just two new tires onto the car, giving the No. 7 team the race lead. He held back a charging Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin in a short green-flag run before more rain covered the track, forcing NASCAR to call the conclusion of the race.
The victory marks the third Cup Series career victory for Mexico native, his first triumph since February 2024, and catapults him into the top ten in the series points.
CELEBRATE AMIGO! 🎉@Daniel_SuarezG | @SpireMotorsport pic.twitter.com/UKPDfi2LWV
— Charlotte Motor Speedway (@CLTMotorSpdwy) May 25, 2026
Two other fallen Army soldiers from Arizona were honored during the Coke 600 race weekend.
Chandler’s United States Army Sergeant First Class Johnathan B. McCain was honored by Ross Chastain and Trackhouse Racing. Sgt. 1st Class McCain received a Purple Heart and four Bronze Stars. As a child, Sgt. 1st Class McCain accompanied his mother, a volunteer for a POW/MIA Support group, and drew pictures for the veterans who had served in Vietnam and Korea. On November 13, 2011, during his third deployment, Sgt. 1st Class McCain was killed in action when his Stryker Brigade was on mounted patrol and an improvised explosive device detonated. He was posthumously awarded a second Purple Heart. Sgt. 1st Class McCain’s daughter, Ashlyn, was named a recipient of the Folds of Honor Foundation scholarship and attended the race.
Originally born in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, Sergeant First Class Glen Jacob Whetten was raised in Phoenix, attending Roosevelt Elementary Schools and graduating from South Mountain High School. Sgt. 1st Class Whetten was honored by Austin Cindric and Team Penske. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was among the first soldiers to enter Iraq with U.S. forces. He later spent four and a half years serving as a Ranger Instructor before deploying to Afghanistan. Sgt. 1st Class Glen J. Whetten died March 12 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. During his time serving our country, Sgt. 1st Class Whetten received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. His family attended the race and was able to meet Austin.
This win is for Kyle. pic.twitter.com/1pcAKDpOvp
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2026
As beautiful and as the Coke 600 race weekend is, a dark cloud hovered over Concord, NC, not just literally as the sport battled against the rain each day, but also after the unexpected passing of two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion and Richard Childress Racing driver, Kyle Busch. NASCAR’s all-time wins leader died at 41 years old on Thursday, just days after winning in the NASCAR Truck Series at Dover Motor Speedway.
The weekend recognizing fallen United States military members was not just massive in magnitude for Suárez from the sport honoring our heroes or because the race is regarded as one of the sport’s crown jewels. Racing as NASCAR’s only Mexican-born driver, Suárez became a United States citizen in 2024 and began his NASCAR journey in America in 2014, becoming teammates with Busch in his first season. As Suárez acclimated himself to both NASCAR racing and living in the U.S., he would call Busch regularly for guidance throughout his rookie season.
“I reached out to him, literally, every single week in 2015 and he took the time to answer every single one of my questions,” Suárez said. “For someone coming from a different country, you don’t know many people. The least you expect is to get support from a legend like him. I didn’t have anyone to ask for support. To get the support of someone like him, because by 2015, he was already a legend. He was already winning everything.
“Most people knew Kyle as the villain, as that guy that fans either loved him or hated him. He had a huge heart and was one of those drivers and people that was always willing to give you a hand.”
— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) May 25, 2026
NASCAR returns to the Grand Canyon State for three days of action across four series at Phoenix Raceway from October 16-18 as a critical round of NASCAR’s rebranded postseason, The Chase. The NASCAR Cup Series headlines the weekend on Sunday, October 18. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Truck Series, and ARCA Menards West Series will also take to the track on October 16 and 17.
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Devon Henry
Arizona native, Devon Henry, joined the Sports360AZ crew in 2018 after graduating from Arizona State's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication. Devon has avidly partaken in coverage of the Arizona high school sports scene since 2013 and has covered NASCAR and INDYCAR at Phoenix Raceway since 2017. Devon is also a play-by-play announcer, calling over a dozen different sports and hundreds of events.