After 195 races, five and a half seasons, and starts with four different teams, Daniel Suarez is finally a winner in the NASCAR Cup Series. Suarez outran everyone at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, avoiding mistakes that derailed a few drivers and teams who have more trips to victory lane. Although he was fast all afternoon, Suarez really took control in the second half of the race, holding back a charge from the equally hungry Chris Buescher lap after lap. Even during the last 10 laps, when Buescher and several other contenders started to fade, the No. 99 simply drove off into the California sun. Suarez’s win may be considered a surprise, but it was certainly no fluke.
Instrumental in Suarez’s win is his pairing with Trackhouse Racing Team. Justin Marks, the principal team owner, established Trackhouse prior to the start of the 2021 season and selected Suarez as the team’s driver. The organization went through some expected growing pains last year, but the No. 99 was surprisingly fast at times. Then, Trackhouse got a major upgrade by purchasing Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR team, expanding to a two-car operation along the way. The second team, with driver Ross Chastain, has been the breakout story of 2022. But on Sunday, it was Suarez’s turn to shine.
After climbing out of his car, a joyful Suarez was clearly grateful for the opportunity to be racing with Trackhouse.
“These guys believe in me,” Suarez said. “Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks, Ty Norris, everyone that helped me to get to this point… they never gave up on me. A lot of people did, but they didn’t. So, just very happy that we’re able to make it work.”
It feels like Suarez has finally found a home in the Cup Series with Trackhouse. That’s a big deal, because the stability offered by a supportive team was the one thing that Suarez always seemed to lack at NASCAR’s highest level. He has raced with competitive, well-established teams in the Cup Series before, but was rarely…
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