At the Coca-Cola 600 last Sunday, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain was a man on a mission. Starting from the back in a backup car after a practice crash, Chastain methodically worked his way up to the front and fought hard with William Byron had been dominating. Byron led 283 of the 400 laps and swept the first three stages, looking untouchable in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. But Chastain wasn’t giving up.
He’d been slicing through the field all night, and with six laps to go, he made his move. Diving below Byron into Turn 1 on Lap 395, Chastain slid up in Turn 2, clearing Byron off the corner with a gutsy pass that had fans on their feet in the grandstands. He held on to cross the finish line 0.673 seconds ahead, snagging his first win of the season, his first at Charlotte, and his sixth career Cup victory. What a way to punch his ticket to the playoffs!
That win wasn’t just a solo effort—it was a Trackhouse Racing masterclass. A strategic call to stretch his fuel run to Lap 350—two laps longer than most—gave him fresher Goodyear Eagles for the final stint, letting him close the gap on Byron when it mattered most. Chastain himself gave props to the team, saying, “It took the whole night to get there. If this was a 400-mile race, we don’t win.” Trackhouse’s teamwork shone through, with crew chief Phil Surgen and the pit squad nailing every stop, proving they’re a force to be reckoned with as they chase more wins in 2025.
But while Ross Chastain’s victory lap had the NASCAR world cheering, there’s a storm brewing at Trackhouse Racing, and NASCAR fans are sounding the alarm about one of their stars who has not seen Victory Lane nearly as often as Ross Chastain.
Fans weigh in on Daniel Suarez’s Trackhouse future
Daniel Suarez, the No. 99 driver, has been under the microscope, and the NASCAR community on Reddit is buzzing with bold claims about his future with the team. With young talent like Connor Zilisch knocking on the door and Shane van Gisbergen still being in his rookie year, fans are worried Suarez might be on the chopping block. The discussion ignited on the r/NASCAR subreddit, where one fan asked the question, “Who are some Drivers on the hot seat for next season?” While a variety of answers flooded the post, Daniel Suuarez’s name stood out more than the rest.
One fan kicked things off, saying, “Unfortunately my boy Danny S. He’s too marketable to not land somewhere, but Zilisch is gonna need a seat next season.” It’s a fair concern—Suarez, with his vibrant personality and strong fanbase, especially in Mexico, is a marketing goldmine, bringing in sponsors like Freeway Insurance and Tootsie’s. However, Trackhouse needs results, and Suarez has lacked that in recent years.
Daniel Suarez’s 2025 season has been rough, with an average finish of 22.08 across 13 races, no wins, and just three top-10s, his best being a 2nd at Las Vegas. However, the problem is deeper than just his 2025 campaign. Since joining in 2021, Suarez has just two wins for Trackhouse Racing, one of them being a three-wide finish in Atlanta last year, which was one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history.
Meanwhile, Trackhouse developmental driver Connor Zilisch, an 18-year-old prodigy who’s already made waves with a P2 finish in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Daytona in 2024 and a win at the 2025 Rolex 24, is a hot prospect they can’t ignore. Zilisch is already a full-time Xfinity Series driver in 2025 and won at Circuit of The Americas to lock himself into the playoffs. However, in 2024, Zilisch stunned the NASCAR world by winning his debut Xfinity race at Watkins Glen, starting a hype train that hasn’t stopped since.
Another fan chimed in, “I agree that Suarez is on the hot seat, but I think Zilisch would really benefit from another year or so in Xfinity. Even drivers that seem rushed to Cup like Elliott, Byron, and Gibbs did at least two full seasons of Xfinity.” This fan’s got a point. Zilisch is primarily a road course driver, and getting used to NASCAR’s daunting ovals is no easy task. While one season in Xfinity will paint a good picture, transitioning instantly to the Next-Gen car on ovals would be a huge ask from a teenager.
The chatter got spicier with this bold claim: “Suarez is done with major teams. He’s been on 3 of them now and has proven that his absolute peak is a round of 12 exit. Zilisch is an incredible prospect and will get that 99, Suarez will land at somewhere like Kaulig and be a decent driver there.” Ouch—that’s a bold claim! Suarez has indeed bounced around, from Joe Gibbs Racing to Stewart-Haas Racing, and now Trackhouse, but his 2025 stats don’t scream “elite,” with only 183 points in 14 races.
Finally, a fan offered a glimmer of hope: “Suarez only hope is Trackhouse wanting Zilisch to get one more year or they decide to cut their losses on the SVG experiment early. I think SVG has been kinda helping Suarez since he’s showing that you may not want to rush a driver into cup and getting time in Xfinity may be more beneficial.”
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse’s Supercars star, has had a rocky 2025, with a best finish of 6th at the COTA. However, there are still many road courses left on the schedule, including the Chicago Street Race, which SVG won on his Cup debut in 2023, cementing his name into NASCAR folklore. If SVG can notch a win at a road course event, Suarez’s chances of keeping his seat will look bleaker than ever before. However, his oval struggles do put him under significant pressure to win at a road course event.
Ultimately, Daniel Suarez could benefit if Trackhouse opts to give Zilisch another Xfinity year, especially since they’re already running him part-time in Cup to get his feet wet, like his recent oval debut at the Coca-Cola 600. But with Suarez’s recent 36th at Charlotte and 34th at Kansas, the pressure’s on, and fans are on edge about what Trackhouse will do next.
Do you think Daniel Suarez deserves a seat at Trackhouse in 2026? Let us know in the comments!
The post NASCAR Fans Sound the Alarm on Trackhouse Racing Star With Bold Claim appeared first on EssentiallySports.
