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Daniel Suarez: 2025 NASCAR Driver Profile

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated Jan 28, 2025 2:42 PM ET

[Editor’s note: The following article is from Athlon Sports’ 2025 Racing Annual magazine. Order your copy online today, or buy one at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]

The three-wide photo finish at Atlanta in February was the highlight of Daniel Suarez’s 2024 campaign, and it’s a moment that will be replayed for years to come.

It was a much-needed shot in the arm for Suarez and the No. 99 team, as he returned to the playoffs and the winner’s circle for the first time in two years after a disappointing 2023 season. He came one spot short of completing the Atlanta sweep in the playoffs, advancing into the Round of 12 before getting eliminated.

While there were a handful of bright spots beyond that, like Texas (fifth) and Las Vegas in the playoffs (third), 12th in the final standings wasn’t a career high. In fact, Suarez’s season-long performance last year wound up relatively equal to his disappointing 2023 aside from the heroic win.

Chevrolet struggled in getting its Cup teams up to speed last year, and Suarez was the only bow tie outside of the four-car Hendrick Motorsports camp to qualify for the playoffs. He ultimately recorded nine top 10s and an average finish of 17.9, but it wouldn’t have been enough to point his way into the postseason without winning Atlanta by three one-thousandths of a second.

Daniel Suarez 2024 stats

Starts	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Poles	DNF
36	1	4	9	0	2

The Monterrey, Mexico, native has managed to revive his Cup career since joining Trackhouse. At the same time, he hasn’t been able to reach the heights teammate Ross Chastain has experienced. Turning 33 years old in January and armed with almost 300 Cup starts to his name, the question is whether Suarez can find an extra gear or if he has already peaked as a driver in his current situation.

There have been moments when Suarez has shown he’s as good as anyone in the field, especially on road courses. He dominated in his first win at Sonoma in 2022 and pulled off a third-place finish at the Indianapolis Road Course in 2023 in an event that ended on a two-hour green flag run.

So he has his shining moments, including a personality that’s well regarded and popular with fans and inside the NASCAR garage. But as Casey Mears once showed, you can only ride the nice guy narrative in this sport for so long before results catch up to you.

Trackhouse currently has four drivers under contract and only three Cup seats available. That’s after the team axed Zane Smith’s multi-year deal in order to bring Shane van Gisbergen into the fold. Also waiting in the wings is Trackhouse development driver Connor Zilisch, an 18-year-old phenom who won his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen last year and looks poised for a future Cup seat within the organization. Once he’s ready for that promotion to Cup, something will have to give in Trackhouse’s current lineup.

Daniel Suarez career stats

Years	Starts	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Poles
8	287	2	22	68	3

For Suarez to stay afloat, he needs to step up. Luckily, 2025 will provide him with one special opportunity.

NASCAR is heading south of the border to Mexico City’s road course in June, and Suarez will be the returning hero racing to score what would undoubtedly be the biggest win of his life. He also gets to defend at Atlanta, where he owns three-consecutive top-2 finishes. All other road courses and superspeedways will provide Suarez with ample opportunities to win and punch a playoff ticket. As we saw last year, it only takes one race to make an entire season.

But whether he scores a win or not, it’s important for Suarez to make significant strides in his weekly results. It feels like a necessity to help secure his long-term spot on the team he’s called home for more than four years.

The Daniel Suarez file

Car: No. 99 Chevy

Team: Trackhouse Racing

Crew chief: Matt Swiderski

Years with current team: 5

Best points finish: 10 (2022)

Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico

Born: Jan. 7, 1992

Scouting report

Anonymous takes from drivers, crew chiefs, and assorted industry insiders:

Daniel Suarez has not made a lot of friends on the racetrack.

“He drives like he’s entitled to the racetrack,” one peer says.

“He’s impossible to pass; unreasonable,” says another, noting that the sport is about give and take.

“He could be really good for the sport but he’s got to take that next step,” says an agent in the sport. “He’s always got an excuse for why he doesn’t win as much as his teammate. He’s got to step it up because he’s got a lot of competition coming for that car if Ross (Chastain) turns it around and (Suarez) doesn’t.”

A broadcaster praises his willingness to jump in the television booth and the seriousness that he approaches that world:

“It’s not easy to call a race when there is 100 different things going on – and I slip up with English as my first language! It’s actually kind of incredible how good he is on TV and it shows how much he cares about the sport.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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