Daniel Suarez gets candid following an “average” NASCAR race at Pocono

After finishing 15th in Sunday’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez let his thoughts be known. Needless to say, it wasn’t the finish that the Monterrey native was expecting.

Suarez blamed the lack of balance in his No. 99 Chevy Camaro for his lackluster day. Notably, he was the highest-finishing driver that Trackhouse Racing fielded all day. His teammates Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen finished P26 and P31, respectively.

Reflecting on his day, Daniel Suarez said (as quoted by Nate Ryan, NBC Sports),

“It was an average day for the No. 99 Chevrolet team. We started the race OK on the short run, but then in the final stage, we just lost the balance of the car a little bit. We were just way too tight and never got it back.”

Joe Gibbs Racing newcomer Chase Briscoe won the event, marking his maiden victory of the season. His teammate, Denny Hamlin, finished second, as he missed out on bagging his eighth career victory at the 2.5-mile, three-turn racetrack in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

Daniel Suarez is the only one from Trackhouse Racing’s roster who has yet to make the playoffs. He needs to win to get in. Next up for him is the Quaker State 400 at Echopark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway. Reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano is the winner of the 2024 edition of the race.

Scheduled for next Saturday, June 28, the 260-lap event will be televised from 7 pm ET onwards as TNT Sports takes over. Fans can also listen to live radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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“It doesn’t mean his career is over”- NASCAR insiders give an unbiased take on Daniel Suarez’s position at Trackhouse Racing

A week ago, Daniel Suarez did something incredible during the sport’s visit to Mexico City. He won the first NASCAR race in his home country since 2008.

But that was at the Xfinity level. The next day, he finished 19th in the Viva Mexico 250 Cup Series race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. His teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, won the race, earning an automatic spot in the playoffs.

Reflecting on this, The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck said on The Teardown podcast,

“He (Suarez) goes out and the guy he’s potentially competing against for his ride, to save his job in the Cup Series, wins his way into the playoffs, while Suarez is a non-factor most of the day. Now it’s like, if you’re Suarez, how do you even — what do you do, moving on from this weekend?”

“I think the Xfinity win is a reminder of, ‘Oh yeah, I can go down into Xfinity, I can win races.’ It doesn’t mean his career is over,” he added.

Shane van Gisbergen has a contract for next year that will keep him at Trackhouse. However, Daniel Suarez does not. If Connor Zilisch stays in the Xfinity Series in 2026, there is likely to be an open spot for Suarez on the Cup side. But if he doesn’t, Suarez might have to evaluate his options.