Daniel Suarez will not return to Trackhouse Racing for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season according to a mutual statement put out by both parties on Wednesday.
Suarez, the 2016 Xfinity Series champion and two-time Cup Series race winning driver, has been with the team since its debut in 2021. Team owner Justin Marks said the decision and announcement comes now to allow Suarez to pursue what comes next in his career.
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 in a press release.
“We will forever be thankful and honored that Daniel chose to spend many incredible years with us. We are proud of his wins, his successes, the growth of his brand, and his emergence as a valuable athlete in America’s greatest motorsport. But, most of all, I’m proud of him as a friend. I’m truly excited to see what awaits him in the next chapter of his amazing career. We are grateful for the professionalism, effort and heart he’s brought to our organization.”
Suarez will race the remainder of the season in the pursuit of a playoff spot. He is 29th in the standings a year after only a drafting track win at Atlanta placed him in the playoffs. He did accumulate the 16th most points overall that season but finished 12th in the final playoff standings.
Trackhouse has a logjam forming with Ross Chastain under a long-term contract and racing alongside three-time Supercars champion Shane Van Gisbergen, who just won at Mexico City to make it into the playoffs in his rookie season, mostly spent learning the oval racing game.
Super prospect Connor Zilisch is just 18 but is already one of the most decorated racers in the expansive discipline with wins in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring, a TA2 championship and wins in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports.
As for Suarez, he hopes to remain in the Cup Series as both a two-time winner with a marketable background.
“I want to thank all the men and women at Trackhouse Racing for your love and support.” said Suárez. “I’ve had some of the best years of my Cup Series career at Trackhouse. 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 of years we were winning races and running up front on a weekly basis.
“Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have mutually agreed to each go in our own direction. I wish Trackhouse nothing but the best, this No. 99 team will always be special to me. And like I always say, the best is ahead!”
