Daniel Suarez, the only Mexican-born driver to win a national series race in a NASCAR event, will not return to Trackhouse Racing in 2026.
Trackhouse and Suarez have called the parting a “mutual decision” that allows the veteran driver the chance to pursue another opportunity for next season. Trackhouse did not name a replacement in the No. 99 Chevrolet.
Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Suarez said: “This is just a new chapter. That’s all it is … This is not a sad moment. It’s just a change and it happens.”
Suarez added that it was not a sudden decision: “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, 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. This season, he sits back at 29th in the points standings.
Suarez, who became an American citizen in 2024, also won the 2016 championship in the Xfinity Series, a step below the Cup Series, and has three wins at that level. He also has one Truck Series win. He made a triumphant return to his home country on June 14, winning the Xfinity Series race in Mexico City while driving for JR Motorsports at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
When Trackhouse came into existence as a single-car team in 2021, they brought on Suarez, who had previously raced for Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing.
“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,” Suarez wrote on X. “Sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction.”
Suarez’s departure opens the door for Trackhouse to promote a potential star in Connor Zilisch, who has been waiting in the wings. Zilisch drives in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports. No announcement has been made, but expectations are that Zilisch will replace Suarez at Trackhouse.
Trackhouse Racing also has Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen under contract, along with Zilisch as its development driver.
Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks thanked Suarez for his contributions: “The role Daniel has played in the Trackhouse origin story and its first five years will remain a valued part of the company’s history forever,” Marks said.
–Field Level Media
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