Latest news with #DanielSuárez
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Automotive
- Al Arabiya
Mexican Driver Daniel Suárez Out of NASCAR Ride at Trackhouse Racing at End of 2025 Season
Daniel Suárez, the only Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race, is out at Trackhouse Racing at the end of the 2025 season. Trackhouse and Suárez officially called the parting a mutual decision that allows the driver an earlier opportunity to pursue a new ride for next season. While Trackhouse did not name a replacement in the No. 99 Chevrolet, Suárez's departure opened the door for the team to promote teen sensation Connor Zilisch into the ride. Zilisch, who drives in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, has run three Cup races for Trackhouse this season, including Saturday night at Atlanta. Suárez has just two wins in 305 career Cup starts and is a distant 29th in the points standings this season. The 33-year-old Suárez is in his fifth season with Trackhouse Racing and was the team's first driver in 2021. He made NASCAR's playoffs two times with Trackhouse. '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,' Suárez wrote on social media. 'Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction.' Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks thanked Suárez 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. 'His commitment, work ethic, and dedication to the effort is one of the most impressive things I personally have seen in my career.' Trackhouse Racing also has Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen under contract, along with Zilisch as its development driver. Chastain has six career wins and was the 2022 Cup Series runner-up, while van Gisbergen has a win this year and is in the playoffs. Suárez, who became an American citizen last year, also has three Xfinity Series wins and one Truck Series win. His 2016 championship in the second-tier Xfinity Series made him the only foreign-born driver to win a national series title. He made a triumphant return last month to his home country when he won the Xfinity Series race in Mexico City driving for JR Motorsports at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Yet the balance of celebrating a homecoming with looming contract negotiations weighed on Suárez. 'It's not the first time that I've been in this position. Definitely the first time with the Mexico race, but it's not the first time that I've been in the position that we have to win or in the position that we have a contract negotiation in the middle of the season,' Suárez said. 'It's definitely a distraction. I won't sit here and tell you that it doesn't really matter. I'm trying to be as smart as possible and to put all this stuff on the side and just do my thing on the track.' He'll do his thing at the track in 2026 with yet another new team. Suárez started his Cup career with Joe Gibbs Racing and has raced for Stewart-Haas Racing and Gaunt Brothers Racing. He has Cup wins in 2022 at Sonoma and last year in Atlanta.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Mexican driver Daniel Suárez out of NASCAR ride at Trackhouse Racing at end of 2025 season
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Daniel Suárez, the only Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race, is out at Trackhouse Racing at the end of the 2025 season. Trackhouse and Suárez officially called the parting a 'mutual decision' that allows the driver an earlier opportunity to pursue a new ride for next season. While Trackhouse did not name a replacement in the No. 99 Chevrolet, Suárez's departure opened the door for the team to promote teen sensation Connor Zilisch into the ride. Zilisch, who drives in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, has run three Cup races for Trackhouse this season, including Saturday night at Atlanta. Suárez has just two wins in 305 career Cup starts, and is a distant 29th in the points standings this season. The 33-year-old Suarez is in his fifth season with Trackhouse Racing and was the team's first driver in 2021. He made NASCAR's playoffs two times with Trackhouse. '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,' Suárez wrote on social media. 'Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction.' Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks thanked Suárez 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. 'His commitment, work ethic and dedication to the effort is one of the most impressive things I personally have seen in my career.' Trackhouse Racing also has Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen under contract, along with Zilisch is its development driver. Chastain has six career wins and was the 2022 Cup Series runner-up while van Gisbergen has a win this year and is in the playoffs. Suárez, who became an American citizen last year, also has three Xfinity Series wins and one Truck Series win. His 2016 championship in the second-tier Xfinity Series made him the only foreign-born driver to win a national series title. He made a triumphant return last month to his home country when he won the Xfinity Series race in Mexico City driving for JR Motorsports at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Yet the balance of celebrating a homecoming with looming contract negotiations weighed on Suárez. 'It's not the first time that I've been in this position. Definitely the first time with the Mexico race, but it's not the first time that I've been in the position that we have to win or in the position that we have a contract negotiation in the middle of the season,' Suárez said. 'It's definitely a distraction. I won't sit here and tell you that it doesn't really matter. I'm trying to be as smart as possible and to put all this stuff on the side and just do my thing on the track.' He'll do his thing at the track in 2026 with yet another new team. Suarez started his Cup career with Joe Gibbs Racing and has raced for Stewart-Haas Racing and Gaunt Brothers Racing. He has Cup wins in 2022 at Sonoma and last year in Atlanta. ___ AP auto racing:
New York Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
Daniel Suárez will leave Trackhouse after 2025 season: What's next for the driver
Daniel Suárez will not return to Trackhouse Racing for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, the team announced Tuesday. Trackhouse's decision is not surprising. Suárez is in the last year of his contract, having signed a one-year extension with the Justin Marks-owned team last summer. With Trackhouse having more drivers under contract beyond the 2025 season — Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch — than Cup Series rides, having a fourth meant that Suárez was likely going to be the odd man out. Advertisement 'I've had some of the best years of my Cup Series career at Trackhouse,' Suárez wrote in a statement Tuesday. '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 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.' A message to my amigos ⬇️ — Daniel Suárez (@Daniel_SuarezG) July 1, 2025 A native of Monterrey, Mexico, Suárez was the first driver Marks signed when he formed Trackhouse prior to the 2021 season. At that point in his career, Suárez had bounced between rides, never finding much stability — or much success. But Marks enthusiastically touted Suarez's ability and initially built the team around him. Delivering upon that belief, Suárez won his first-career race in 2022 and earned a first-ever playoff berth. He added a second win (and playoff berth) in 2024. Consistent top-level results, however, have been hard to come by for Suárez. This was particularly true when comparing his record to that of Chastain, who has won six times with Trackhouse and also finished championship runner-up in 2022. 'The role Daniel (Suárez) has played in the Trackhouse origin story and its first five years will remain a valued part of the company's history forever. His commitment, work ethic and dedication to the effort is one of the most impressive things I personally have seen in my career,' Marks said. 'We will forever be thankful and honored that Daniel chose to spend many incredible years with us.' With Suárez moving out at the end of the season, sources familiar with the situation say Trackhouse is expected to fill his spot by promoting Zilisch from NASCAR's second-tier Xfinity Series, though the team did not name a replacement on Tuesday. Advertisement The 19-year-old Zilisch has impressed in his first full season racing at NASCAR's national level, winning twice already and ranking fourth in laps led and fifth in points, despite missing one race with a back injury. Trackhouse signed Zilisch, regarded as one of the sport's top prospects, to a multi-year contract last year. Upon that announcement, the clock began ticking on how Trackhouse was going to manage its log jam. It was unlikely Trackhouse would release Chastain or van Gisbergen. Chastain has won at least one race every season since joining the team and is effectively Trackhouse's No. 1 driver. And while van Gisbergen was a project who needed time to acclimate to the primarily oval-based NASCAR, having come from a road course background, he has used his road course skills to score two wins already. Most recently, he won in Mexico City last month by a whopping 16.5 seconds. What Suárez does from here is unclear. Although he is one of NASCAR's more popular drivers, especially in Mexico, the number of opportunities to race in Cup full-time next year is limited. Nearly every team has either already solidified its driver lineup or is close to doing so, and any potential openings would likely be with a team not at the same performance level as Trackhouse. There are few more likable drivers in NASCAR than Suárez, who happily refers to everyone as 'amigo' with a genuine smile on his face. His story of perseverance is remarkable — a kid who left Mexico to chase NASCAR dreams without speaking English, then taught himself the language while also trying to break into the North Carolina stock car world. He then made it all the way to the Cup Series and has won two races there. But it hasn't come easily, and not without many stumbles. Suarez simply hasn't delivered the consistent results, which made it tough to justify keeping his ride. Though van Gisbergen is three spots behind Suarez in the point standings, the Kiwi is already in the playoffs thanks to his win in Mexico City, and is the heavy favorite entering this weekend's race at the Chicago Street Course. Advertisement It's a bit puzzling to figure out why it hasn't all clicked for Suárez. He's a relentless worker and keeps himself in great shape. He's a fierce competitor. But he's now had three rides on some of NASCAR's best teams and hasn't been able to put all the pieces together. That said, you would think, at age 33, there's plenty of time for Suárez to still have a long NASCAR career. He is a good driver worthy of a Cup Series ride. And he is very important to NASCAR in general due to his connection with the Hispanic fan base. But if he's not in a competitive Cup car, would it be better to drop down to the Xfinity Series and try to rebuild his career as a consistent winner and champion again? Looking at the landscape, he might not have much of a choice anyway. — Jeff Gluck, staff writer
New York Times
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
NASCAR's Mexico City weekend was largely a success. Will it return in 2026?
MEXICO CITY — One of the main objectives behind bringing NASCAR's Cup Series to Mexico City, which on Sunday hosted the first premier series points race outside the United States since 1958, was introducing the sport to a culture unfamiliar with it. If expanding the fan base is the measuring stick to gauge whether the Mexico City race weekend is a success, then there's ample evidence that NASCAR accomplished it. Across the city, the fifth-largest in the world by population, advertisements promoting the race were everywhere, from billboards to the subway, and many fans expressed excitement about NASCAR racing within their city. Advertisement This enthusiasm was at its peak at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Fans loudly cheered the on-track action, particularly anything involving Daniel Suárez — a native of Monterrey, Mexico — whether it was a pass he made for position, or even when he was briefly shown on a video screen. When Suárez won Saturday's Xfinity Series race, the fans' roar drowned out the cars circling before them. But it wasn't only the native son who generated such a strong reaction, with many drivers finding themselves mobbed by fans when they walked through public areas. Beyond the anecdotal, there is hard data that supports NASCAR expanding into Mexico, something the sport's leadership has attempted for a while but wasn't able to make happen until this year. According to Ben Kennedy, NASCAR's executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovation officer, 90 percent of those who attended Sunday's race — won by Shane van Gisbergen — came from Mexico, and 44 percent of the crowd lived in Mexico City. 'Today wasn't just a race,' Kennedy said. 'This was a historic moment for our sport, for Mexico, and for the global motorsports' community. 'One of the coolest parts about this weekend was seeing the reaction of the fans. I had the opportunity to go into the stands a few times, and the energy and the passion of the fans here is unmatched.' It stands to reason, then, that NASCAR would exercise the option it holds with Mexican promoter OCESA to return to race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez next year. Too much positive came out of NASCAR's foray south of the border, and NASCAR and its teams largely support having an international race on the Cup calendar. Still, while NASCAR usually doesn't leave a track after just a single year (of the new tracks added since 2021, only Road America exited after less than three years), the league has not yet committed to another go in Mexico City. Advertisement 'We're very hopeful to be back here in the future,' Kennedy said. NASCAR has numerous reasons to hedge, and there is no rush to make a call. As it does after every new race, NASCAR's decision-makers will convene to dissect the completed race weekend, what worked and what didn't, while also soliciting industry feedback, primarily from the teams and media partners. NASCAR's discussions with teams will carry significant weight in any decision. From conversations with numerous team leaders throughout the weekend, nearly every one of them sees the benefit in continuing to race internationally and thought the Mexico City race weekend went rather smoothly — once everyone reached the city. And it's this caveat that proved problematic. Hiccups in travel, most of which was coordinated by NASCAR, led to several individuals arriving late to Mexico City. Among them was van Gisbergen, who didn't make it until shortly before opening practice on Friday, along with several members of his Trackhouse Racing team, after their NASCAR-chartered plane was grounded with a mechanical issue. Should Mexico City find a spot on the 2026 schedule, the majority of the teams that spoke to The Athletic would prefer to handle coordinating their own travel itineraries, something they do for every other race weekend. 'We're going to do a postmortem on our side around the event; we're going to collaborate with the teams,' Kennedy said. '… We're going to get together and put our heads together. What works? What will we continue to replicate in the future and where? What changes would you like to see if we do come back? How do we make sure it's as efficient and as effective as we can? Part of that is probably logistics planning. Part of that is probably scheduled.' Then there is the issue of actually getting the equipment to Mexico City, a difficulty compounded by a grinding Cup schedule that sees teams race 37 times over a 38-week span. Almost immediately following the June 8 race in Brooklyn, Michigan, team haulers had to begin heading toward Mexico City, required to be at the United States-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, 24 hours later. The next day, they continued on to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. This coming weekend, NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 2,500 miles back the other direction. Advertisement Ideally, teams would like to see an off weekend either before or after any future Mexico City race. 'We can't do this — Michigan, Mexico City, back to Pocono, can't happen, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon said. 'We're doing it and we're excited to take on the challenge, but it's going to wear on us, and I don't think we can do it all back-to-back. So we've got to make some adjustments to the schedule and how do we fit it all in into what's already a very difficult schedule.' NASCAR recognizes the burden placed on the teams, particularly hauler drivers. This was a big ask that required lots of buy-in. Kennedy, primarily NASCAR's chief schedule maker, acknowledged an off weekend would greatly help everyone. But also noted that it's not a straightforward decision given the complexity of putting together the schedule. 'Having it located adjacent to an off week would help quite a bit,' Kennedy said. 'From a travel perspective, the challenge is we don't have many off weeks. We have a couple off weeks, so we do have some options, and we are looking at those options ideally, if we do come back, it will be around an off week, but still have some work to do.' Logistic challenges aside, it's hard not to deem the inaugural race in Mexico City a success. And it's why the expectation within the garage is that NASCAR will again be racing there next year. For NASCAR to truly cash in on its sizable investment in this race, it would be a mistake not to build off the foothold that it has established over the past nine months since first announcing the race. The consensus is NASCAR needs at least one international race each season. And after the past week, Mexico City should be atop that list of options. 'For us, this is more of a strategic move as a sport to expand our footprint globally and internationally, and to a massive fan base,' Kennedy said. 'Just being in a country with 90 million people and over 20 million people in the larger Mexico City metro alone, that in and of itself is a success. That is success for us. Advertisement 'In my opinion, that carries a lot more weight than the economics or financials of the event. Sure, it's a variable we consider, but strategically, it's more important that we focus on those factors as we make those decisions.' (Top photo of race winner Shane van Gisbergen during Sunday's Cup Series race in Mexico City: Sean Gardner / Getty Images)
Al Arabiya
16-06-2025
- Automotive
- Al Arabiya
NASCAR's Mexico City Race: How a Historic Event Overcame Skepticism and Delays
Despite the handful of industry insiders too scared to leave their hotels in Mexico City, NASCAR's first international Cup Series race of the modern era was a cultural experience that brought new fans to the series and provided its competitors with a chance to enjoy a new country. The event had its detractors – rumors persisted for months that it would be canceled over security concerns or the escalating tensions between the US and Mexico – and some NASCAR team members remained critical all the way through Sunday's race. But was it a success? Even with travel delays, hotel room snafus, and confusion over shuttle transportation, it was unequivocally a shining moment for NASCAR. 'Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations,' said Daniel Suárez, the Monterrey-born NASCAR driver who was the face of the three-day weekend. 'The people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy. I had expectations for this weekend…and I can tell you that I personally exceeded those expectations.' The idea to try the road course at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez – host of one of the most popular Formula 1 events on that calendar – was the brainchild of Ben Kennedy, executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovations officer. The great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. has been aggressive in shaking up a schedule that went to the same tracks on the same weekends for decades. Bringing the Cup Series to Mexico City – only the third race outside the US in seventy-seven years – was a chance to expose stock car racing to a new demographic and give Mexican fans their first chance to see the series race live. 'This was a historic moment for our sport, for Mexico, and for the global motorsports community,' Kennedy said after Shane van Gisbergen won Sunday's race to lock the New Zealander into the playoffs. 'One of the coolest parts about this weekend was seeing the reaction of the fans. I had the opportunity to go into the stands a few times,' he continued. 'The energy and the passion of the fans here is unmatched.' Kennedy said ninety percent of those in attendance were from Mexico, with forty-four percent from Mexico City. 'Most important, there were a lot of new fans coming out of this weekend.' Will NASCAR return? Even so, Kennedy could not guarantee another race in Mexico City. FIFA has World Cup games scheduled for this same week next year, and there are the logistical issues of finding a date during a packed thirty-eight-week schedule. The cars had to leave Michigan International Speedway immediately after last week's race to make the forty-hour journey across the border and now must get to Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania in time for this weekend's race. 'I want to go everywhere in the world – England, Germany, South America, Australia, everywhere we can go,' said Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, the vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports. 'The next thing that makes sense in Canada. But we have to figure out the schedule before we do too much of this. We can't do this. Michigan, Mexico City, back to Pocono can't happen. We're doing it and we're excited to take on the challenge, but it's going to wear on us and I don't think we can do it all back-to-back. So we've got to make some adjustments to the schedule and how do we fit it all in into what's already a very difficult schedule.' Where will NASCAR go next? Nothing is off the table for Kennedy, who is globally exploring where NASCAR can race and showcase its product. One glaring issue: Those in the industry who remain comfortable with the same old schedule of traveling to Bristol, Tennessee, and Martinsville, Virginia, and Darlington Raceway in South Carolina twice a year. While those markets are tied deeply to NASCAR's Southern roots, there isn't room for growth in playing to the same crowds over and over. The pushback on Mexico City didn't come from any high-profile drivers, but Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s spotter had a scathing social media post ripping the city in which he said, 'Screw this place, people can talk it up all they want,' and twenty-two-year-old driver Carson Hocevar had a similar sentiment in derisive comments on a live stream he has since walked back. 'Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should never give an opinion about what any place is like other than (hometown) Portage, Michigan,' Hocevar posted on social media. 'I was skeptical about the trip and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here. Now that I've actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I've ever seen, my opinion has changed,' he continued. 'I am embarrassed by my comments.' This was baffling to some of the more well-traveled drivers, including Kyle Larson, who has raced at two hundred-plus different tracks around the world and makes annual trips to Australia and New Zealand. He also attended the 2021 Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi and then vacationed in Dubai. He likened Mexico City to a field trip for NASCAR because the drivers all stayed in the same hotels and rode buses together to the circuit each day. On a normal weekend they are holed up in their motorhomes at the track and rarely venture out. 'It's honestly really fun and enjoyable to be around your competitors and get to know each other a bit better because on a typical weekend we just kind of lock ourselves in wherever we're at,' he said. 'We don't talk to anybody or anything. So it's nice that, yeah, you're almost forced to hang out with each other. It's cool. You get to know them, so I've enjoyed that.' Even Kyle Busch, who was arrested in Mexico in 2023 for carrying a concealed weapon, was surprised by the few who had a negative response to racing in Mexico City. 'The food is amazing; the city has some of the top restaurants in the world,' Busch said. 'This is a great place to be, and I don't understand the people holed up in their hotels too scared to leave. Live a little.'
