Suarez is showing why Spire is on its way to becoming 'a destination'

Daniel Suarez knew what he was seeing and where he wanted to be with his next NASCAR Cup Series opportunity. He went as far as to call it a no-brainer.

There is much less doubt and chirping from those who didn’t share the same vision or understand Suarez’s thinking when he and Spire Motorsports first announced their partnership. In the six months since that October 22, 2025, press conference, Suarez and his No. 7 team have proven they are relevant players on race day and are in the fight for a Chase spot. The latter being one of the biggest signs of success for both Suarez and the race team.

It is a 12-position improvement for Suarez compared to where he was at his former team, Trackhouse Racing, a year ago. It is a 13-position improvement for the team over last year, with former driver Justin Haley.

It’s not at all what many would have expected given what history had said, but ever the competitor and far from satisfied, Suarez is quick to say, “We’re not winning races yet. Yes, we have had a couple of top-fives and top 10s, but we are not winning races yet. We haven’t led a bunch of laps or anything like that. … So, we still have work to do, and that’s the mentality that I have.

“Yes, I would say last year, for me and for the 7 team, it was very, very difficult. But I believe now we’re able to leave that in the past and adjust to controlling the future, and that was something very important that I had a conversation with the team about when we started talking last year. How important it was for me to get rid of everything that had happened and focus on the present and future.

“There is nothing we can do about the past, only learn, and even though the numbers in the past didn’t look very good for them or for me, it didn’t really matter. I feel like we have done our job, but right now we have to continue to push ourselves.”

Suarez and his team, led by Ryan Sparks, might be focused forward, but it’s hard for some not to notice how different or well things are going. With expectations so low (from the outside, at least), it might be fair to argue that they are overachieving or contenders for the early-season surprise. And while Suarez doesn’t concern himself with what others think, he does believe people are noticing.

“But the only reason why I care is because I want to make Spire Motorsports, which I think we’re almost there, to become a destination,” Suarez said. “That’s the only reason I care.”

Suarez's No. 7 team has improved since his arrival, as has the performance of the entire Spire organization. Sean Gardner/Getty Images

It was a long and tough offseason to get here. One of the first pieces of business to finalize after Suarez had his deal in place was who would be the team's crew chief. Last year, Sparks was in a difficult position, having to split his time between serving as the crew chief (when he took over early in the year from Rodney Childers) and as the competition director.

“I didn’t want that,” Suarez said.

Initially, it looked like the team would be looking for a new crew chief. But given that Sparks wanted to be on the team and work with Suarez, the organization made that happen and moved Matt McCall, who had been hired as the director of vehicle performance, into the competition director role.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Suarez said. “Ryan is a great crew chief. He’s a very good leader of the team. We get along very well. He wants to win as badly as I do, and he works very hard. He knows what’s needed to be able to win races, and that’s very important.”

Suarez’s success is part of Spire Motorsports' strong start to the season across the board. The three teams had sat close together in the standings through the first few weeks, and it’s not by coincidence. Carson Hocevar, who is now a Cup Series winner, recently stated that the turnaround of the No. 7 team has added to the overall dynamic of the organization because it’s not a distraction of why one car is struggling while the others are not.

Hocevar’s crew chief, Luke Lambert, revealed that Suarez quickly integrated himself into the organization. It came during a preseason team-bonding event, where the leadership group, particularly those who travel to the track each week, spent time together off-site.

“That forged us as a group rolling into the season as a team that felt like we had been together for years, even though we’d known Daniel for just a few months,” Lambert said. “I can’t really say enough about what Daniel Suarez has done coming into our organization as far as being a teammate, being an example, and really just being there for all of us. And I think that was a piece that really elevated our program. Those guys and girls on that team are doing a great job putting a fast race car on the racetrack.

“That was a piece that has taken a big step up this year, and that has got all three of our teams to where it’s a force multiplier because we go to the racetrack and we have another data point of a really solid piece of information that we can work on and make adjustments from.”

And there are still 26 races to go. Meaning, plenty of runway ahead for Suarez to continue to show he knew what he was seeing to want to sign with Spire Motorsports.

“Spire Motorsports,” he said, “we haven’t seen the best of Spire Motorsports yet, and that’s the most exciting part for me.”