Justin Marks: ‘Was time to move on' from Daniel Suarez
"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
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