Daniel Suarez racing with WIMNA, 12-year-old Autumn Kohlhagen at Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — New to the sport but eagerly racing her way through the ranks, 12-year old Autumn Kohlhagen was ecstatic to have a chance to visit the NASCAR Cup Series’ Spire Motorsports shop this week. Even better, her name will be on the No. 7 Spire Chevrolet driven by Daniel Suarez in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Kansas Speedway - part of the Women In Motorsports North America (WIMNA) primary sponsorship the team will carry.

Given the opportunity to swing by the team’s Charlotte headquarters to look at the shiny aqua-colored car bearing her name among hundreds in the WIMNA organization, the Concord, N.C. resident Kohlhagen got the surprise of a lifetime when Spire Motorsports’ driver Daniel Suarez arrived to meet her.

It was the ultimate “feel good. .. good …and good” story for Kohlhagen, who brings the team an inspiring story of living with and thriving despite a chronic illness - primary immunodeficiency. Her grit, determination and physical strength in fighting through the condition is as motivating to the race team as their kindness has been to her.

“It was my first time ever meeting a NASCAR driver and it was such a great experience,’’ said Kohlhagen, a competitive go-kart racer at Mooresville, N.C.’s Trackhouse Motorplex.

“I couldn’t see over the steering wheel,’’ she said laughing about her opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat of Suarez’ car, “They had such a big shop and all these race cars and that was my favorite part.

“It’s really cool to think my name is on a NASCAR car. The car looks amazing and has a great design.’’

The experience this week came only a day after Suarez and his wife Julia welcomed their first child, a son they’ve named Otto. Getting to meet Kohlhagen and see a young person overcome such tough circumstances really touched the brand-new dad and has inspired both his race team and the WIMNA organization too.

“I feel like this partnership with WIMNA couldn’t have come at a better time,’’ said Suarez, who has filled his week fawning over his wife and newborn and adding the final touches to baby-proofing their home.

“I’m very happy to do this and Autum was super nice, sweet and very impressed with the car and everyone at Spire Motorsports and everyone at WIMNA – it’s been a lot of fun being a part of this project and I look forward to the race.

“It’s very special for me to be able to represent all [women] and continue to expand that. This sport is for everyone. I remind people of that all the time. I was asked to bring awareness and to represent, and it is such an important thing. Hispanics need representation and with women, it’s no different. Together we can bring awareness, we can represent and bring more women into the sport.”

Having thrived in such a tough medical situation her whole life, Kohlhagen finds being a female in a male-dominated sport just another obstacle to prevail over. WIMNA, which sponsored former Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell in a Spire car last year at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, was glad to continue to bring awareness of all female drivers making their way up the sport’s male-dominated ranks.

“Visibility matters,’’ said WIMNA Executive Director Cindy Sisson, who personally led the effort for Kohlhagen and Suarez to connect.

“We want women to see that there is a place for them at every level of this industry, while also recognizing the importance of the allies who help open doors, crates opportunities and champion their success. To have WIMNA Nation represented on a NASAR up Series car gives us an incredible platform to shrae that message with a national audience.

“Seeing the names of our members riding along with Daniel Suarez this weekend makes it even more meaningful.’’ Suarez would obviously love nothing more than to celebrate the special paint scheme in Kansas Victory Lane. After collecting his third career NASCAR Cup Series winner’s trophy in May’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and earning a position in the 16-driver Chase field, Suarez has had a rough start to the Chase.

He's still looking for his first top-10 in the three Chase races so far and is ranked 16th among those title-chasing drivers – albeit, he’s only 18 points behind 11th place Austin Cindric.

“The beginning of the Chase hasn’t been the start we wanted,’’ Suarez conceded, adding, “The best speed we have shown this year is on mile-and-a-halves [like Kansas] so we have to just take advantage of that and continue to improve. I truly believe our mile-and-a-half program is good, but we have room to grow and hopefully we can be fighting for another win before the season’s over.”

Beyond the obvious competitive desire to fare well – a chance to put Kohlhagen and WIMNA in Victory Lane – Suarez fondly recognizes the sentimental opportunity to also hoist his first trophy as a dad. “It is very special,’’ he said of competing this week.

“It doesn’t feel different going to a race track as a dad, but you have a huge amount of relief now that Otto is here. The most stressful race I ever had in my life was [last week] at Bristol {Tenn.) because I knew Julia was in early labor when I got home. Also, at Gateway, we were in the window of going to the hospital at any second.

“So the last two weeks have a little bit stressful. I’m just glad God gave me the opportunity to be there with Julia and now I feel relief,’’ Suarez said of being there for Otto’s birth.

“There had been that worry, ‘man, I hope I don’t miss the birth of my first child or to be there with Julia,’ because that’s the most important part, to be there with her. Luckily, I was able to do that, so now I can go and do my thing on track.’’

Suarez concedes the motivation to win this weekend – with the birth of his son and the team’s full-on support from the inspiring young driver, Kohlhagen and the strength of the WIMNA movement – has never been stronger. 

I’m very happy to be representing women and WIMNA and everyone on this project and I hope this is the first of many, it’s such a great initiative,’’ Suarez said.

Added Kohlhagen, “It’s definitely one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of.”