Suarez says ‘everything is an option’ about his future

Daniel Suarez won’t have news to share about his future for another couple of months, and acknowledged this week that there is a lot up in the air.

Suarez is in a contract year with Trackhouse Racing. He signed a one-year extension with the organization last year.

“We’ll see what happens,” Suarez told Dale Earnhardt Jr. during this week’s episode of The Dale Jr. Download. “There are still a lot of things in the air right now. There are some things that I’m a little bit uncomfortable [with] in a few areas. In a few things. The way that a few things have been handled. I love Trackhouse and I love this team, and this team, for sure, has been my best home in the Cup Series. I want to have more success with this team, and I want to see this [team] successful regardless if I’m in it or not. But we’ll see what happens.

“Right now, honestly, everything is an option. But I think there are a lot of things that honestly, I don’t even know the answer. All I know is that things are going to work out. They always do. I’m working very, very hard. The team is doing their job. The [No.] 99 team, what an amazing group of guys. My crew chief, mechanics, and the pit crew. I have an amazing group, and we’ll see what happens. But there are still a lot of things in the air, and I hope that everything works out in a way that everyone is happy.”

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Suarez has driven for Justin Marks' team since 2021. He was the organization’s flagship driver when it was formed.

A year later, when Trackhouse Racing expanded to two cars with the addition of Ross Chastain, the organization put both drivers in the playoffs. That included Suarez winning his first career race at Sonoma. His second win came last year in the three-wide photo finish at Atlanta.

The contract extension came during the summer. Suarez has not won since the spring of last year, and if he and his team are going to qualify for the postseason this year, they have to win. Suarez is 27th in the championship standings.

“A lot of things have happened in the last 10 months or so,” Suarez said. “I love Trackhouse. This is my home, and I’m forever thankful for everything that Justin and Trackhouse and Ty Norris, at the time, and a lot of people have done to build this amazing place. Lately, it’s been a little bit of a struggle, not just on the track but also off the track in a few things, and right now, we are in a must-win situation. We’re in a must-win situation. The good thing about that is that we have good racetracks (coming) for us.”

“I’m very focused on the next task, which is Atlanta, and we’ll see what happens. I’m happy and I'm comfortable where I am. I definitely want more. I want to win races. But I have confidence in my group in the [No.] 99 that we have what it takes to get it done.”

Trackhouse Racing fields three full-time entries, having expanded this year with the addition of Shane van Gisbergen. Under the charter agreement, unless a team is grandfathered in, the maximum is three teams.

In addition to its three Cup Series drivers, Connor Zilisch is a development driver for Trackhouse and the next to receive a shot at the Cup Series. Zilisch is running a part-time schedule this year for the organization.