Daniel Suárez threw everything he had during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, chasing a playoff berth, but his hopes slipped away in a photo finish as he crossed the line just 0.031 seconds behind Ryan Blaney. The near-miss, however, has fueled Suárez with the belief that even if the playoffs are out of reach, a victory is well within striking distance.
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Reflecting on his recent form, Suárez said, “I can tell you that I’m getting closer. I’m happy where things are heading. Definitely, having races and results like the ones that I had the last couple of weeks helps a lot. Because that just helps to prove that we can do it.”
He added that it was not just about him, but the entire No. 99 Trackhouse Racing team. Suárez even labeled 2025 as the most difficult season of his Cup career outside of 2020, with points slipping away and crashes piling up.
Still, he refused to dwell on the negatives, insisting, “The good thing is that right now we are starting to find our pace or execution or speed.”
+17 spots in final two laps at Daytona #cocacolaracing #cokezerosugar400 pic.twitter.com/FQzMeCdoxC
— Daniel Suárez (@Daniel_SuarezG) August 25, 2025
In July, Trackhouse Racing revealed that Suárez and the team would part ways at the end of the year, and just last week, they confirmed Connor Zilisch as his successor. Yet when the No. 99 Chevy driver appeared on the SiriusXM podcast, he struck a content tone, insisting he is satisfied with the road ahead.
On his 2026 outlook, Suárez explained, “And I hope that in the next few weeks, next month, we can get something done and hopefully make it public for you guys very soon.
“Honestly, I’m excited to where things are heading. I just have to continue to do my job on the racetrack and off the racetrack. And hopefully we are done with all this drama.”
For now, no team has disclosed talks of pairing with Suárez, nor has he revealed any concrete offers. With the uncertainty swirling, fans will turn their eyes to his performance in the final 10 playoff races, watching to see if he can turn resilience into results.
