Latest news with #DanielSuarez
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
5 NASCAR Drivers on the Hot Seat Right Now
The NASCAR silly season has been almost non-existent in 2025, with the majority of top drivers in the Cup Series signed to multi-year deals or having agreed to extensions before the summer. While the top-tier drivers are safe in their seats for next season, there are a few others who might be fighting over the next few weeks to secure a spot in the Cup Series for 2026. Let's examine our list of the NASCAR drivers on the hot seat nearing the end of the regular season. Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing Trackhouse Racing has already confirmed that Daniel Suarez won't return after this season. What puts the 33-year-old among the NASCAR drivers on the hot seat is the fact that he's racing for his future in the Cup Series. Suarez's results this season – 29th in NASCAR standings – suggest he'll have to settle for a ride with a bottom-tier team or spend next season as a top competitor in the Xfinity Series. The Cup level certainly pays more, but long-term viability at this playing field might be more likely if he dominates at the Xfinity level next year. Related: Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team Cole Custer has had plenty of opportunities in the Cup Series in recent years. After a three-year stint (2020 through 2022), he returned to the Cup level with the Haas Factory Team for the 2025 campaign. While he certainly hasn't been helped by driving one of the weakest cars in the field, it's also becoming clear that this level might be too much for him. Across 20 races this season, Custer is one of just two drivers (along with Cody Ware) with five or fewer top-20 finishes. Nepotism is keeping Ware in his seat next season; Custer doesn't have that advantage. The fact of the matter is that he might only be good enough for the Xfinity Series. Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing The antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing could give Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick the ability to leave and sign with other teams if there aren't charters available for them in 2025. Even if that scenario doesn't fully materialize, the amount of money 23XI Racing is spending on this legal fight — along with the financial impact of running as an open team — is significant. That situation puts Riley Herbst on particularly dangerous footing. He's been one of the least competitive NASCAR drivers in 2025, currently sitting 35th in points (258), with an abysmal average finishing position of 25.45. The sponsorship money he brings from Monster Energy is the primary reason he remains in the seat. If 23XI Racing needs to cut costs further or loses its third charter, Herbst could be forced to return to the Xfinity Series. Justin Haley, Spire Motorsports Carson Hocevar looks like an emerging star for Spire Motorsports, and Michael McDowell gives the team a shot at every road course. Together, Hocevar and McDowell have combined for seven top-10s and four top-5s. All of this is to say that equipment isn't the reason Justin Haley finds himself 32nd in points this season, with just a single top-10 finish and only three laps led through 20 races. Consecutive seasons finishing outside the top 30 in the standings are bound to catch up with him, and it should come as no surprise that there is at least some buzz that he could be replaced this offseason. Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Of all the NASCAR drivers considered on the hot seat, Alex Bowman is by far on the safest ground. He's currently tied for the fifth-most top-10 finishes in the Cup Series and ranks 10th in laps led this season. However, what at least puts him on the watch list is the fact that he's viewed as the 'fourth car' at Hendrick Motorsports—a team with championship-level expectations for all its drivers. Bowman has only one win over the last three seasons, which raises questions about long-term upside. If a top-tier driver were to become available, such as if Tyler Reddick leaves his current ride, Bowman's seat could potentially be in jeopardy. Related Headlines 'All Will Be Exposed': Denny Hamlin Warns Big 'Answers' Coming in 23XI-NASCAR Charter Suit NASCAR starting lineup: NASCAR starting grid for Dover after Cup Series qualifying canceled New York Mets 'Interested' In Trade for Unheralded, Cheap Reliever MLB Rumors: Big Update Emerges on Yankees and Mets Potential Trade for Pair of Impact Pitchers
Reuters
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Justin Marks: ‘Was time to move on' from Daniel Suarez
July 9 - Earlier this month, Trackhouse Racing announced that Daniel Suarez and the organization would be parting ways in 2026. Following the Chicago Street Race on Sunday, Trackhouse owner Justin Marks addressed the divorce with reporters. "When we ... mapped out our three-year and our five-year plan and the sponsorships and everything that we're trying to accomplish over the next five years of the company, we just got to a point where we felt like that relationship had borne a lot of fruit for us, but it was time to move on," Marks said. Suarez, the only Mexican-born driver to win a national series race in a NASCAR event, has been with Trackhouse since its NASCAR debut five years ago, initially starting off as the team's only driver. But he's the only driver on a current team of three yet to win a race in 2025, and he's the lowest of the group in the regular-season points standings. Teammate Ross Chastain is eighth and has one victory; Shane van Gisbergen, who won in Chicago on Sunday, is 27th; while Suarez in 29th. Addressing the possibility of bad blood, Marks spoke of meeting with Suarez on Saturday night, with the two reminiscing about their years together. "Him and I are in a really good place." Trackhouse and Suarez have previously called the parting a "mutual decision" that allows the veteran driver the chance to pursue another opportunity for next season. Marks echoed that sentiment Sunday, while also acknowledging the need to make a change. "Look, Daniel has been a huge part of this company for four and a half years now," Marks said. "This isn't a sport where you do the same thing forever." In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Suarez spoke of this being a new chapter for him. "I have known about this for a while," Suarez said. "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, 33, has won two races in 305 Cup starts. This is his fifth season with Trackhouse Racing , and he has made the playoffs twice. His best season was in 2022, when he finished 10th and won his first Cup Series race. He finished 12th last season, winning his second race in the process. Trackhouse has yet to name a replacement for the No. 99 Chevrolet. --Field Level Media
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Shane van Gisbergen shows Trackhouse made the right call with Daniel Suárez
CHICAGO — Daniel Suárez is great for NASCAR. He is fan-friendly, well-liked by sponsors, an intense competitor, a proven Cup Series talent, and a bridge to a coveted demographic. And yet his racing future is in doubt for 2026 after being dropped by his Trackhouse Racing team last week. Tough business, this racing deal. But in a series that emphasizes the power of wins over all else, Trackhouse owner Justin Marks didn't just make the right call; he made the only call. Advertisement There's no further evidence needed than what has unfolded over the last few weeks since Suárez won a stirring Mexico City Xfinity Series race and rejoiced in front of his elated home fans. The very next day, Suárez's Trackhouse teammate Shane van Gisbergen did exactly what he was hired to do and expected to do — score a Cup Series victory in his rookie season and put Trackhouse's new No. 88 car straight into the playoffs. Then at Chicago this weekend, van Gisbergen did it again. He swept both poles and both races — only the second driver in NASCAR history to do so — and became only the fourth driver to win multiple Cup races this season. If he gets another victory at Sonoma on Sunday — where he'll be the heavy favorite — van Gisbergen will tie for the series lead in wins for this year. There's simply no one in the 36-year-old New Zealander's class on road courses at the moment. Though the Cup Series drivers have all raised their game since 'SVG' stunned the field with a victory in his NASCAR debut during the inaugural Chicago street race, he still seems to be a step ahead, with some reserve still left in the tank. 'These (road) races are like a holiday to me; it's the ovals where I'm really focused on getting better and better,' van Gisbergen said Sunday. 'I come here and there's no stress.' That's pretty terrifying for the Cup Series field, because while van Gisbergen poses no championship threat unless he makes major progress on oval racing, it's now obvious he's going to be the driver to beat six times per season at road courses. And since there's a road course in Round 2 of the Cup playoffs, it makes it conceivable to think van Gisbergen could take one of the playoff spots for the elite eight. Maybe it's premature to declare van Gisbergen as the greatest stock car road racer ever, but he has now won seven of his 16 career starts on those tracks between the Cup and Xfinity Series. If anyone wants to get hung up on the best label when van Gisbergen doesn't have the overall victory totals yet, that's fine; but it's hard to argue he isn't the most talented ever. Advertisement 'When he's done with us all and walks away from the sport, I think he's going to walk away as the best road course racer that this sport has ever seen,' Marks said. After Sunday, despite van Gisbergen's lack of oval experience, he is now ahead of Suárez in the point standings. He also has more career wins than Suárez. So if the choice was between Suárez and van Gisbergen for the third and final spot on Trackhouse's Cup Series team in 2026, it's a difficult argument for Suárez. Meanwhile, the alternative path to keep Suárez at Trackhouse also seemed like it was quickly disappearing even before the Mexico City race. The 18-year-old wunderkind and Trackhouse development driver Connor Zilisch has already won three of his 21 career Xfinity Series races and is proving to be a threat at every type of racetrack. Remarkably, the rookie now has six straight top-five finishes — including a win and three runner-ups, one of which came at the hands of an aggressive van Gisbergen on Saturday. Zilisch already has backing from Red Bull and possesses a next-level maturity fostered through his days racing against today's upcoming F1 talent as a youth. The Charlotte native's parents sent him to Italy to race karts against drivers like F1 rookie Kimi Antonelli — the driver who replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes and who lost to Zilisch in one of Europe's biggest karting races when they were pre-teens. There's no point in keeping Zilisch down in Xfinity for another year, not when he's already proven to be a Sunday-level NASCAR talent. And that has seemed obvious for months. Meanwhile, the team's other driver — Ross Chastain — is one of the best in the Cup Series and is in no danger of losing his job. He will be a fixture at Trackhouse for years to come. So there was Suárez on Saturday, facing the media and acknowledging that while the news became official only last Monday, he had understood his future for some time now. Trackhouse and Suárez both called the breakup after a five-year relationship 'mutual,' but it certainly didn't seem Suárez had much of a choice. 'As we grow and as the team grows, obviously we have to identify different opportunities,' Marks said Sunday. 'We just felt like it was time to wrap up that relationship.' For his part, Suárez said there were certain things he was unhappy with at Trackhouse. He inferred the progress was too slow when it came to making necessary changes to find speed for his team, said his cars were way too inconsistent, and suggested Trackhouse had spread itself too thin while pursuing a global brand (Marks now also owns a MotoGP team, for example). Advertisement 'It's like being in a relationship, but just living together because you guys bought a house together,' Suárez said. 'It just didn't feel good anymore. I'm pretty sure it was in both ways, but it was just a matter of time. 'You need to have everything clicking in the right direction. And unfortunately, I have felt a few things are missing for the last several months.' So what are the options for Suárez? Most of the 2026 Cup rides have been accounted for, but Suárez brings some of his loyal sponsors and their dollars with him. And though dropping down to the Xfinity Series and winning another championship there to go along with his 2016 title could be an option, he's not currently interested in doing so. 'I love (Xfinity), but I like to compete with the best of the best (in Cup), and that's why I wake up and I work hard every single morning,' he said. That's admirable, and Suárez belongs in the Cup Series. But the difficult part of competing with the best of the best is someone has to lose. And when it came the race to keep his job at Trackhouse, Suárez simply got outrun. (Top photo of Shane van Gisbergen celebrating Sunday's win: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
Newsweek
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
NASCAR: Trackhouse Racing Owner Breaks Silence on Split With Daniel Suarez
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks has broken his silence on the split with driver Daniel Suarez after the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Marks explained the situation that eventually led him and Suarez to part ways mutually. Suarez secured two Cup victories with Trackhouse since he joined the team in 2021. Now, Marks revealed that it was time for the team to move on, while hinting that his relationship with Suarez remains the same. In addition, Marks also said that he would help his friend find his next opportunity. He said: "Look, Daniel's been a huge part of this company for four and a half years now and when we sat down and mapped out our three-year and our five-year plan and the sponsorships and everything that we're trying to accomplish over the next five years of the company, we just got to a point where we felt like that relationship had beared a lot of fruit for us, but it just was time to move on. "So, as we grow and as the team grows, obviously, we have to identify different opportunities. Look, Daniel has been a huge part of this company and a great friend of mine. We met last night, me and him in the hotel for an hour down in the lobby and we talked about our time together, everything that we've accomplished together and him and I are in a really good place. Daniel Suarez, driver of the #99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet, (R) and Trackhouse Racing team co-owner Justin Marks stand on the grid during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard... Daniel Suarez, driver of the #99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet, (R) and Trackhouse Racing team co-owner Justin Marks stand on the grid during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 31, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. More"It's just this isn't a sport where you do the same thing forever and as we grow, we just felt like it was time to wrap up that relationship and work to try to help him to find the next opportunity, but continue to grow as a company [is] what we're trying to accomplish." Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks addressed Daniel Suarez's departure from the team in post-race. Said he and Daniel talked for an hour in the hotel lobby last night and are in a "really good place", but they had gotten to a point in regards to mapping out the team's future… — Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) July 7, 2025 Newsweek Sports reported Suarez's statement early this month after he and Trackhouse agreed to split. He wrote: "Trackhouse and I have mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the 2025 season. I've had some of the best years of my Cup Series career at Trackhouse. We had great successes as a team and I gained some incredible friends. "We took a team nobody had even heard of in 2021 and in just a couple of years we were winning races and running upfront on a weekly basis. Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction. "I wish Trackhouse nothing but the best, this 99 team will always be special to me. And I like I always say, The best is ahead!"
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Daniel Suarez felt unheard, with "no chemistry" at Trackhouse Racing
After five years at Trackhouse, Daniel Suarez will exit the team at the end of the 2025 season. And on Saturday during media bullpen interviews, he opened up on the situation behind the scenes. 'For me, it was a lot of relief for me (to have it be official) because I have known for several months that this was going to happen," Suarez told the assembled media. 'It's just like everything in life ... things change, people change, companies change and that's okay, there's nothing wrong with that. There just wasn't really love anymore. There are no hard feelings at all. I really want to stick to the amazing years that we had together early with Trackhouse, and it was just time for a change.' Advertisement Not being heard Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet While he is confident that he will remain in Cup for 2026, Suarez admits that "the last six to eight months have been very difficult for me. As he has in previous interviews, Suarez praised his No. 99 team, focusing instead on organizational differences as a reason for the two parties drifting apart. 'There have been several situations in the last eight months, 10 months, that I just haven't felt like I used to," revealed Suarez. "Sometimes when you don't have that feel, there is just no chemistry anymore. It's like being in a relationship but just living together because you bought a house together. It just didn't feel good anymore. I'm pretty sure it was both ways." Advertisement Suarez also said that he has spoken out about certain changes that need to be made in order for the team to improve, but felt his voice wasn't be heard. 'I've been very vocal that we need to adjust this, we need to adjust that and I'm not the only one seeing it -- more people are seeing it," said Suarez. "Not a lot of things happen, everything happens so slowly. I don't think that's the only reason. I think there are more things, but lately there have been things that made me feel that I'm not as important.' Suarez currently sits 29th in the championship standings and is winless in 2025. While he is ahead of rookie teammate Shane van Gisbergen in points, but SVG and Ross Chastain -- who is in the top ten in points -- have both won races this year. Read Also: Katherine Legge knocks 23XI's Corey Heim out of Chicago Cup start in shock upset Connor Zilisch caught off guard by SVG's aggression in battle for the win Shane van Gisbergen earns NASCAR Cup pole in Chicago with blistering lap To read more articles visit our website.
