Daniel Suarez in need of another big performance as NASCAR heads to Sonoma

It's been two years since Daniel Suarez won at Sonoma Raceway in 2022, but the time has never been better for the 32-year-old driver to break through for another victory at the California road course. 

While Suarez is locked into the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs by virtue of his win at Atlanta, he's only put together one top-10 finish — a fifth at Texas — in the 13 races since Atlanta, including just five finishes inside the top 20. 

Without his Atlanta win, Suarez would sit 20th in Cup Series points, 78 points outside of the playoffs. While that point is null and void, a lot can be said for momentum, especially during NASCAR's summer stretch. 

The final 11 races of the regular season should see Suarez and the No. 99 team focus on collecting as many playoff points as they can, especially since he likely won't be collecting any points for finishing top-10 in the regular season standings. Winning stages and races is Suarez's best chance to pile up playoff points before the postseason begins, and Sonoma presents Suarez with a major opportunity to drive into victory lane again. 

In a season where the No. 99 team has struggled mightily, returning to the site of their first win in 2022 could be the catalyst for a breakout weekend. A stretch of good runs could be handy for building momentum, but to be frank, the tracks that come up over the next month of the NASCAR schedule don't look upon Suarez fondly. 

However, the winding turns of wine country have been quite favorable to the Monterrey, Mexico native, as in six Cup Series starts at the track, he only has one finish outside the top 17 at the track — a 22nd place finish in 2023 — and has never qualified worse than 16th. 

Suarez has the perfect opportunity to grab the attention of fans this weekend, as his poor performance has largely pushed him under the radar this season, and Sonoma is an opportunity that he can't pass up. 

If Suarez can't put together a good day at Sonoma, it could turn into a long summer for a team desperately looking for a shot in the arm.