Daniel Suarez Gets Real on His Early Dover Issues

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Daniel Suarez Gets Real on His Early Dover Issues

Originally posted on RFKRacingDigest | By Uday Jakhar | Last updated May 17, 2026 6:26 PM ET

Daniel Suarez is back from elimination, as the fan vote has given him the final spot in the race after being disqualified from a broken wheel in qualifying.

Suarez had finished qualifying third, but his day came to a grinding halt, literally, as a wheel from the right front of his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet came loose during the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge segment.

In an interview after he climbed out of the car, Suarez explained that the incident began much earlier.

“My warning was that the car was very, very tight,” he admitted. “Leaving pit road, it was super tight.” However, due to the changing setup in qualifying, it seemed to him that “it was air pressure related.”

But as the corners progressed, the warning signs got worse. “In 3 and 4, I got super tight again,” Suárez explained, adding that it “made me kiss the wall next to it a little bit.” Even then, he still “didn’t think much about it.”

But it was Turn 1 when the entire disaster unfolded. “I got into corner 1, and the tire obviously came off,” he said.

Despite the same, Suarez went on to passionately defend his crew. “I feel like my pit crew has been doing an amazing job. I’m super proud of them,” he said before adding, “this group that did it today, they have never practised together.”

He didn’t even make the mistake of giving a well sought out reason for the performance as he exemplified the pressure on the pit crew before adding, “We’re asking too much of the guys.”

The heroics of the Spire pit crew don’t culminate at Dover but have been rightfully chimed to. If we remember another incident from just a short while back, we too shall award their bravery.

Donovan Williams’ heroic Dover incident

Spire Motorsports tire carrier Donovan Williams turned out to be quite an unexpected hero at the All-Star weekend at Dover as he bravely stepped in front of a runaway pit cart just to protect FOX Sports reporter Amanda Busick.

Spire crew member Donovan Williams was treated and released Saturday after suffering minor injuries while saving our own @AmandaBusick from a runaway pit box in Dover. pic.twitter.com/evWuZQMRWI
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 16, 2026

The heavy cart had just magically rolled away from the garage before heading to topple the reporter. It was then Williams who stood in the way, stopping the cart while sustaining minor injuries and later being discharged from the hospital.

The incident threw the entire team into disarray as Williams could no longer perform his duties. Replacement members were called in, forcing Spire to reshuffle its entire over-the-wall unit at the last moment.

Maybe this was the exact reason that Suarez drew such emotional defense of the crew. Because it was a heroic rescue that amended it all. And if that’s the case, the loose tyre may have been worth it.

This article first appeared on RFKRacingDigest and was syndicated with permission.

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