When one door closes, another opens. For Daniel Suárez, leaving that first door has been heavily emotional. Since 2021, Suárez has grown along with Trackhouse Racing, helping Justin Marks’ Cup Series team stand on its feet. Over four years, the Mexican speedster clinched two wins, one in Sonoma Raceway (2022) and Atlanta (2024). In 2025, however, this relationship is closing in favor of a new journey for the driver.
While the victories in his Cup Series career have been sparse, Daniel Suárez has excelled in NASCAR’s lower tier. The Xfinity Series is where the Mexican driver first showcased his potential. That is exactly why Suárez may leave his home of four years, and fans are on board.
Daniel Suárez may take reverse steps
Remember the ecstatic expression on Daniel Suárez’s face in Mexico City? In mid-June, the Monterrey native almost spoiled his chances to hoist his country’s flag. Wheeling the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, he encountered a crash in qualifying for the Chilango 150. However, Suárez gave everything to the backup car for the final Xfinity Series race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. He charged from the rear, led a race-best 19 of 65 laps, and beat Taylor Gray to the checkered flag by 0.598 seconds. After the victory spinouts, Suárez climbed to the car’s roof and pounded his chest in front of fans. As it turns out, he may be able to celebrate more such Xfinity victories.
Daniel Suárez’s excellence in the Xfinity Series prevailed even before his Mexico City win. He won three wins, 19 top fives, and 27 top tens en route to the 2016 Xfinity Series championship. That is what ultimately catapulted him into the Cup Series, where he first joined Joe Gibbs Racing. These stats wildly counter his Cup Series stats, as in 2025, he owns just 3 top tens, 1 top five, and 6 glaring DNFs. Hence, a NASCAR fan on Reddit could not help but envision Suárez’s seemingly golden future in Xfinity. They wrote, “Id much rather see him win as a seasoned vet like allgaier in xfinity than running high 20s for another year.”
What is more, the path to the Xfinity Series seems more than probable at this point. None of the Cup Series teams has open seats for 2026. Connor Zilisch, Xfinity prodigy, may be taking over Daniel Suárez’s seat. NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi opined: “Unfortunately for Suarez, he’s entering free agency at a time when not a lot of viable options exist. Nearly all 36 full-time seats are already taken for next season. This is why many within the industry thought Suárez’s best opportunity to reset his career was to take a ride in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series, likely with Kaulig Racing or JR Motorsports, then re-enter free agency a year from now in what is anticipated to be a much more robust market.”
This line of thought may seem like a demotion for Daniel Suárez. But surprisingly, fans are on board with it.
NASCAR fans draw a blueprint for Suárez
Many Cup Series drivers have scaled down in the past. For instance, John Hunter Nemechek dropped to Trucks in 2021, fetching 13 wins, and then upgraded to Xfinity, where he clinched 11 wins. Then, AJ Allmendinger carefully honed his skills in Xfinity (owning 16 wins) before coming back to the Cup Series in 2025. Similarly, fans want the same path for Daniel Suárez. One fan wrote, “Suarez is certainly a good driver, but I feel like we’ve seen his peak. Absolutely nothing wrong with being a solid Xfinity lifer. If anything, that series could use more guys like that, especially considering Allgaier is likely in the back 9.” The comparison with Justin Allgaier resonated with another fan, considering both drivers have won in JRM equipment. Somebody even predicted: “I only see him taking the number 7. What do you think?”
However, Daniel Suárez has good connections in the Cup Series. Even Justin Marks, who is cutting ties with him following the 2025 season, is ready to help him. The Trackhouse Racing owner considers Suárez a friend and has admitted to helping him get a ride. So one fan agreed with Suárez’s better chances in Xfinity but also admitted to the reality: “I agree. But he’s staying in Cup.” Another solid connection is Carlos Slim, a world-renowned businessman, who has supported Suárez’s NASCAR interests for a long time. Slim brought Suarez into the Cup Series, so another fan wrote, “Carlos Slim is going to make sure he stays in cup.”
Somebody else countered these opinions and said that Daniel Suárez still has a chance in the Cup Series. After all, he performs better than drivers like Justin Haley, Austin Dillon, and others. The fan wrote, “I hope he does stay in cup. He’s better than Xfinity drivers, and a decent portion of the cup field too. He already has an Xfinity chip which he’d’ve won 10 years ago next season. It’s bulls—- that he’s getting pulled for Zilisch.”
Evidently, the speculation is rife about Daniel Suárez’s future ride. Let us wait and see which team’s shore he washes up on.
The post Daniel Suárez’s Cup Career Faces Fan Pushback Over Surprising Reason appeared first on EssentiallySports.
