NASCAR Rumors: Trackhouse fires two top executives as Daniel Suarez prepares to leave team

In a surprising turn of events ahead of the 2026 season, Trackhouse Racing has reportedly cut two key figures from its competition department: Chief Operating Officer Tony Lunders and Director of Shop Floor Operations Gary Putnam, based on recent reports by Heavy Sports. These members are two veterans whose steady hands have guided operations at the trackhouse racing team for years.

It’s a move that signals a team in transformation, one eager to sharpen its edge as major lineup shifts loom. Just last month, the team confirmed that the driver of their No. 99 car, Daniel Suárez, would be parting ways with the team after the current season wraps.

After the announcement, Suarez spoke to the media and said that he's relieved that the information was out.

“I have known about this for a while. I’m actually a little bit relieved that this is out and people know about it, and we can talk about it, and we can move forward with future plans and continue to work. I’m excited for whatever comes next,” Suarez said via Sirius XM Radio.

Suárez, the first Mexican-born driver to win a national NASCAR race, has two Cup victories; one at Sonoma in 2022 and the other at Atlanta in 2024. Trackhouse is clearly steering into a new chapter. Ahead of Daytona and the Playoffs, eyes will be watching how this transition affects the team’s performance.

The reports haven't yet confirmed who will be replacing Tony Lunders and Gary Putnam for their key roles, but the announcement may be coming soon as the team heads into this new phase.

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Trackhouse Racing team owner provides an update on Connor Zilisch's participation in Daytona

The Trackhouse Racing team and the JR Motorsports team are in a clash over Connor Zilisch's participation in the Wawa 250 race at the Daytona International Speedway this weekend. Zilisch injured himself in a bizarre accident after winning the Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen. The driver fell off his car while climbing on top of it during celebrations and broke his collarbone.

While JR Motorsports has confirmed Zilisch's availability for the race this weekend, Trackhouse Racing has said that he shouldn't be hurried into racing and that he should completely recover first.

"It's a balance between a 19-year-old kid who just wants to be in the race car and can't stand not being in the race car and is capable of driving the race car right now. And the other side of that is we need to make a smart decision."

He continued:

"What we can't do is rush him back into the car, especially a place like Daytona, get in a wreck and then be worse off than we were before. JRM wants him to be back in the race car. But we've got to make smart decisions, so I would just say, stay tuned on that one," Trackhouse Racing owner, Justin Marks, said via Sirius XM Radio via Newsweek.

Connor Zilisch is the most probable replacement for Daniel Suarez in the driving seat of the No. 99 car during the next season for the team.