"It’s not done yet, but it’s close": Daniel Suárez confident of a contract extension with Trackhouse Racing

Daniel Suárez is yet to sign a contract for the upcoming season, but he has reservations about returning to Trackhouse Racing. With 13 races remaining this season, Suárez said he intends to re-sign the contract before the season ends in November. This will mark Suárez's first contract extension to sign with the Trackhouse Racing team in the Cup Series.

Speaking to the media last weekend at the Richmond Raceway, Daniel Suárez stated:

“But yeah, we’re going to be fine. It’s not done yet, but it’s close. It’s just a matter of time. I’m just not the one having all those conversations, but it’s going to happen soon. It’s just a couple of little things that they’re working on, and that’s it, but overall, we’re in very good shape.”

Given Kyle Busch's difficult spot in signing his contract, Suárez was asked about Busch's situation, and he mentioned that he had been in that situation before. He found it surprising that Joe Gibbs Racing did not consider Busch. He said the team had not made any effort to sell him, which made Busch lose his longtime M&M sponsor, yet they have not found anything for him.

In his 15th year with Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch has no contract further than the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. The two-time Cup Series champion has been in talks with Gibbs for months now and recently stated that he would accept little money to remain with the team.

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Daniel Suárez's career journey in the NASCAR Cup Series

The Mexican-native driver debuted in the Nationwide Series in 2014. However, he won his Cup Series in 2018, claiming the first pole at Pocono. He finished second in the race, which was his first career-best position. Suárez struggled to maintain consistency throughout the rest of that same season, finishing with three top-fives and nine top-tens.

In 2019, Daniel Suárez signed a contract with Stewart Hass Racing to drive the No. 41 Ford Mustang. During the qualifying session of the 2019 Ticket Guardian 500 at Phoenix, Suárez had an incident with Michael McDowell on the track, resulting in a fight on pit road. He didn’t return to the team after being replaced by Cole Custer.

Suárez moved to Trackhouse's startup No. 99 team last year after finishing 25th in the points standings with Gaunt Brothers Racing in 2020. The team acquired Chip Ganassi Racing's assets and added a second car with Suárez's new teammate, Ross Chastain.

Suárez was the first Mexican to win a Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway on June 12 this year, advancing to the playoffs for the first time. With 23 races this season, he has a success rate of top-five finishes.