Daniel Suarez targets Richmond victory to end Trackhouse season on a high note after P7 finish at Watkins Glen

Daniel Suarez logged his fourth top-10 finish at Watkins Glen on Sunday. 24 races into the season, the Cup Series regular has zero wins to his name. The way things are right now, Suarez has to win a race in order to qualify for the upcoming playoffs.

The 33-year-old wants that too, but it’s not because of the automatic playoff ticket that comes with a regular season victory. The Monterrey-based driver will not return behind the wheel of the No. 99 Chevy Camaro in 2026, making this his last full season with Trackhouse Racing. Following Daniel Suarez P7 finish at Watkins Glen, the driver now has his eyes fixed on Richmond.

“Richmond is actually a racetrack that I like a lot,” Daniel Suarez told a reporter. “So, hopefully, we can take this momentum into next week and continue to build. For me, the playoffs are important, but the most important thing for me is to win. I don't care if it's before the playoffs or after...I just want to win and end up my cycle with Trackhouse on a high.”

As of now, Daniel Suarez sits 29th in the driver standings with 393 points to his name. He also has one top-five, four top-10s in 24 starts. Notably, Suarez’s latest victory in the NASCAR Cup Series came at Atlanta Motor Speedway back in February 2024.

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NASCAR insider reveals the most viable option for Daniel Suarez in 2026

As things stand, Daniel Suarez will be a free agent following the Championship 4 race at Phoenix on November 2. He could step back and run a full schedule in the Xfinity Series, but that’s not likely to happen. Suarez is inclined to keep racing at the Cup level.

Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic recently spoke about Suarez’s current situation. The way he sees it, this isn’t a great time for the driver to enter free agency.

“Nearly all 36 full-time seats are already taken for next season,” Bianchi explained. “This is why many within the industry thought Suárez's best opportunity to reset his career was to take a ride in NASCAR's second-tier Xfinity Series, likely with Kaulig Racing or JR Motorsports, then re-enter free agency a year from now in what is anticipated to be a much more robust market."

Well, Spire Motorsports could turn out to be an option for Suarez, but that will happen only if the team decides to hire Suarez in place of Justin Haley. But that’s speculation for now.

Next up for Daniel Suarez is the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Scheduled for August 16, the 400-lap event will be televised on USA (7:30 pm ET) with live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.