Daniel Suarez claims the No:99 team needs just ‘one more step to go’ to win a race

Both Trackhouse Racing drivers finished inside the top 10 for the first time since Fontana this year on Monday.

Daniel Suarez claims the No:99 team needs just ‘one more step to go’ to win a race

Daniel Suarez (Credits: @Jockey/Twitter)

Mexican NASCAR driver Daniel Suarez silenced the critics to a certain extent this Monday at Michigan by finishing inside the top 10 for the first time since Atlanta P2. He also ended the disappointing streak of two finishes outside the top 30 that put him outside the last 16. He now has found the momentum to fight for the playoff spot.

The momentum is vital for him, considering he has two road course races coming in. Road Courses have always been his stronghold. He scored his maiden Cup win, the first-ever win by a Mexican in the premier division, in 2022 at Sonoma. Trackhouse Racing has a strong road course package, making him a challenger for Indy and Watkins Glen.  

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While talking about his performance on Monday, the No:99 Chevy driver pointed out that the result is what he wanted ahead of the road course rounds, and he is proud of his team’s efforts. He added that his team worked hard to balance the cars on Friday and Saturday, and it all worked well for them. Suarez said there is one step to go before the team gets to victory lane.

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“The team did an amazing job with execution, and the car was fast. It wasn’t easy – we had to work for this one. Two days ago in practice, I knew our car had the speed, but we were just very off on balance. Once we found the balance, the car was pretty fast so I’m happy with that,” Suarez said after the race.

“I feel like we still have maybe one more step to go to be able to win races, but it was definitely a race that we needed, especially heading into two road course races. Now we have a little momentum on our side, and I’m optimistic for the final three races of the regular season,” Suarez added.

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Michael McDowell and Chase Elliott will be Daniel Suarez’s biggest rivals in the coming two races

Daniel Suarez
Daniel Suarez (Credits: @TrackhouseRacing/Twitter)

The two coming road course races have what it takes to re-structure the entire playoff bubble. There are three spots left to be taken by a victory or points. Most of the drivers in the bubble are pretty good regarding road courses.

Hendrick Motorsports Chase Elliott and Suarez in the Trackhouse Chevy will be contenders for a win, given the right car. Michael McDowell, known to exceed the car’s limits in road courses, will be another fighting for maximum points and will be ready to capitalize on the front runners’ mistakes.

Toyota drivers Bubba Wallace and Ty Gibbs, who are currently in the top 16, probably won’t be contenders, though Toyota has a solid car for the tracks. Their mission will be point maximization and extending the cushion on race day. AJ Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing can also be a surprising challenger for wins.

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