Denny Hamlin claims Trackhouse might’ve signed Zane Smith as a possible Daniel Suarez replacement
Daniel Suarez has been struggling to find consistency this season.
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Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suarez and Zane Smith (Via IMAGO)
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, while discussing Trackhouse Racing signing Truck series champion Zane Smith as part of a plan to replace Mexican driver Daniel Suarez if they don’t have the plan to expand the team to three full-time rides. Smith will join Trackhouse in 2024 and drive for Spire Motorsports in a loan deal.
But the team is yet to decide on what to do with the driver once his Spire spell comes to an end. Justin Mark’s team has two options for 2023. One is to expand the team to a three-car operation, and the second is to replace Suarez with Smith in the No:99 Chevy. With the massive Anheuser-Busch sponsorship, Ross Chastain has a long-time seat in the No:1 Chevy. Hence, it’s Suarez in danger if the plan is to replace a driver.
“Obviously, Zane is just kind of on loan over there for Trackhouse that it’s a TBD seat of where Zane will go in 2025 but you gotta assume they’re either going to look for a charter and, you know, run three cars or this could be a possible replacement for the 99,” Hamlin said Via the Actions Detrimental podcast.
Twenty-four years old, Zane Smith is the defending Truck Series champion and was among the front runners to win the title at the start of the season. But with one more race left in the playoff, he is 36 points off of the championship-4 cutline and desperately needs to win the upcoming event at Miami with his No:38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Truck to secure a spot in the finale.
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Daniel Suarez’s sub-par 2023 season and the Shane van Gisbergen factor give Trackhouse some headaches in 2025
The 2023 so far has been sub-par for Daniel Saurez, considering the bar he has set for himself. He missed out on the playoff while his teammate Chastain got into R-12. Suarez is yet to score a win this season. He has scored just ten top-10s from 33 races, with only three being top-5s.
He finished outside the top 20 in 16 races. It is a disappointing stat, considering Trackhouse is a teammate capable of consistently running in the top 15s. If the same form is to continue in 2024, things could go south for last season’s Sonoma race winner.
van Gisbergen, the three-time supercars champion and Inaugural Chicago Street race winner, is another major signing made by the team in 2023. He will join the team in a development program next season, and if he is to finish the year strong, the team has to find a full-time seat for him in 2025. This will put the team in a tough situation regarding driver line-up decisions in 2025.
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Justin P Joy
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