Daniel Suarez admits that it’s ‘DIFFICULT’ to help his teammate Ross Chastain in the playoffs due to a clash of agendas

Daniel Saurez is still chasing his first win of the 2023 season.

Daniel Suarez admits that it’s ‘DIFFICULT’ to help his teammate Ross Chastain in the playoffs due to a clash of agendas

Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain (Via IMAGO)

Unlike in the 2022 season, Justin Marks’ Trackhouse Racing has just one car in the playoffs this season. While last year’s championship runner-up, Ross Chastain, successfully secured a spot in the playoff by winning the Nashville race, his Mexican teammate Daniel Saurez failed to get in following a winless run.

While Saurez is out of contention for the title, he hasn’t put his hopes of winning a race to rest. He is determined to win at least one more race before the season concludes. But at the same time, Chastain is also chasing victories to secure the teams’ first-ever Cup title. With these different objectives, there will be races where both drivers have a shot at a win, which might yield clashes among them.

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When asked about how he can help Chastain in the playoffs, he pointed out that both teams have to build the best cars Trackhouse possibly can. He added that while Chastain is aiming to win the title, he is eying a race win. The Chevy driver said he would help his teammate as much as he could and of he is faster, adding they will race each other if both have the same speed.

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“We have to build the best race car we possibly can. He (Chastain) is trying to win a championship, and I’m trying to win races. It’s always a difficult situation because everyone has different agendas. I’ve been on both sides of the table. You try to help, not to make things difficult. If he’s behind me and faster, I’ll let him go, but if we’re at similar speed we’re going to race,” Suarez said, as reported by Speedway Digest.

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Daniel Saurez claims that the clash of agendas is part of the racing

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Daniel Suarez (Credits: @Jockey/Twitter)

Last year’s Sonoma race winner went on to point out that the difference in goals and the clash that comes with it is part of racing.  He said that Chastain helped him in his failed playoff bubble fight in the last races of the regular season but added that the No:1 fought for wins at the same time as well.  

“At this point of the season, everyone has different agendas and is fighting for different things. It’s part of racing. For the last month, I was trying to make it into the playoffs. He helped me a little bit when he had the possibility. But he was racing for wins, as well,” Suarez said.

Suarez went on to claim that the teammate clash is also part of racing, and if anyone feels hurt about it, NASCAR isn’t the sport for them. He said, “That’s racing. If you’re going to get hurt feelings because of that, you’re in the wrong sport.”

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