December 1, 2021 | By Lee Spencer

Suarez gets Trackhouse party started with sponsorship from Tootsie's World Famous Orchid Lounge

NASHVILLE—There’s nothing like supporting the home team, just ask Daniel Suarez.

The legendary Tootsie’s World Famous Orchid Lounge will sponsor Suarez for multiple races next season starting with the 2022 Daytona 500

On Wednesday, Trackhouse Racing unveiled the driver’s new livery for the No. 99 Chevrolet as live music blasted from the sponsor’s front door on Lower Broadway.

“It was very important to come here to Nashville,” Suarez said. “The team, in a way, is based here… Our race team is based in Charlotte, but the team was born here. We have offices here. The president of the team (Ty Norris) is here. The owner of the team (Marks) is here. One of the primary sponsors of the team is here. We are certainly connected with Nashville.”

Tootsie’s initially partnered with Trackhouse and Suarez when NASCAR returned to Nashville Superspeedway in June. The Mexican racer, who turns 30 next month, finished seventh in the Ally 400 at the 1.33-mile oval.

For team owner Justin Marks, whose Trackhouse Entertainment Group calls Franklin, Tenn. home, the partnership presents the perfect marriage of motorsports.

“A Tootsie’s car on the streets of Nashville and in the Daytona 500. There’s nothing better than that,” Marks said. “We are also grateful the Nashville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Opry Entertainment are joining with us in 2022. We are certainly going to be Team Nashville.”

In addition to the Great American Race, Tootsie’s along with “Visit Nashville” logo will appear on Suarez’s car for both races at Bristol Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Nashville Superspeedway in June.

“We have enjoyed our relationship with Tootsie’s since they joined us this summer and both sides wanted to expand the program in 2022,” Marks said. “They saw the power of NASCAR and we saw the fan reaction to Tootsie’s on our race car.”

Tootsie’s owner Steve Smith didn’t require much of a sales job from Trackhouse. Not only is Smith a fan but he understands the potential for NASCAR’s growth in Nashville.

“I have been a stock car racing fan all of my life,” said Smith, owner of several Nashville hospitality venues. “I recently visited with NASCAR executives and members of the France family about Nashville’s role in the NASCAR landscape, and I believe that this City will be prominently and positively promoted by NASCAR for many years to come.”