NASCAR Silly Season: Daniel Suárez addresses Trackhouse future amid 2025 struggles

The calendar will soon flip to July, and you have to wonder if by then, NASCAR Silly Season will heat up. How Trackhouse Racing will handle its three-car operation, and the future of Daniel Suárez is the big question.

Suárez’s contract is up after the 2025 Cup Series season. Trackhouse currently employs four drivers between Suárez, Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch. The latter is on a developmental deal and currently excelling in the Xfinity Series. Trackhouse owner Justin Marks has a big decision to make. Suárez acknowledged there is a lot up in the air while speaking with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the “Dale Jr. Download.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Suárez said, via Kelly Crandall of RACER. “There are still a lot of things in the air right now. There are some things that I’m a little bit uncomfortable [with] in a few areas. In a few things. The way that a few things have been handled. I love Trackhouse and I love this team, and this team, for sure, has been my best home in the Cup Series. I want to have more success with this team, and I want to see this [team] successful regardless if I’m in it or not. But we’ll see what happens.”

Suárez, 33, became Trackhouse’s flagship driver when the team joined the Cup ranks in 2021. One year later, Chastain came aboard to drive the No. 1 car. Suárez has made the playoffs twice since joining Trackhouse.

Daniel Suárez facing must-win situation to make NASCAR playoffs

Chastain and van Gisbergen have both won a race this season and are playoff-bound. Suárez, meanwhile, sits 27th in the points standings. Zilisch has a pair of wins in Xfinity and has two Cup starts under his belt this season as Trackhouse aims to get him experience in the Next Gen car.

It’s a tough situation for Suárez. His performance has dipped at the wrong time. There are, however, nine regular season races remaining on the schedule. Saturday’s race is in Atlanta, where he won his last race in February 2024. A win there could change everything.

“A lot of things have happened in the last 10 months or so,” Suarez said. “I love Trackhouse. This is my home, and I’m forever thankful for everything that Justin and Trackhouse and Ty Norris, at the time, and a lot of people have done to build this amazing place. Lately, it’s been a little bit of a struggle, not just on the track but also off the track in a few things, and right now, we are in a must-win situation. We’re in a must-win situation. The good thing about that is that we have good racetracks [coming] for us.”

“I’m very focused on the next task, which is Atlanta, and we’ll see what happens. I’m happy and I’m comfortable where I am. I definitely want more. I want to win races. But I have confidence in my group in the [No.] 99 that we have what it takes to get it done.”