Daniel Suarez did not slam doors on his way out of Trackhouse Racing, but it quite literally felt like his tone shifted once he stepped into a new garage. Since leaving Justin Marks’s outfit after last season, he has carried himself like a driver who has taken stock and moved on, though the edges still show.
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For instance, at the Clash at Bowman Gray earlier this month, Suarez kept his cool when Bubba Wallace made contact in the pack. But with Shane van Gisbergen, his former teammate, he showed no such restraint. Suarez raced SVG as if there were no shared history, only track position.
The chill extended beyond the cockpit. During media sessions, Suarez did not go out of his way to soften the exchange when discussing van Gisbergen. When asked about racing former teammates, he did not lace his words with nostalgia. Instead, he stated that he gives what he gets. Ahead of the Daytona 500, however, he made sure to value his years at Trackhouse Racing.
Suarez called Trackhouse an amazing organization, expressed gratitude for the wins, the opportunities, and the work they put in together, before drawing a line. “Things change. Companies change. People change. It’s part of life,” he said.
“And the Trackhouse of today is not the same Trackhouse of two, three years ago. And that’s OK. It’s just that things change. And it just wasn’t the best place for me anymore. That was the sad part. Leaving actually was a relief, but that was the sad part. When I was seeing those things and I didn’t want to see them, if that makes sense.”
Daniel Suarez says he was sad when he realized Trackhouse was no longer the place for him, but says the split was actually a relief once he saw how different the team had become. He’ll always be thankful to Trackhouse, but is excited now to be with Spire. pic.twitter.com/CdtLhtQkWL
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) February 11, 2026
Suarez had hinted at that drift before. Though he scored both of his Cup wins under the Trackhouse banner, he sensed the ground shifting beneath him. An uncertain future over the past two seasons hung over him like a cloud, and it chipped away at his focus as he tried to stay in the fight.
Suarez further revealed that something inside Trackhouse had moved. He no longer felt rooted in the team he helped build. Plus, SVG’s rise, the arrival of Connor Zilisch, and Ross Chastain’s results after joining the team changed the pecking order and added pressure. The garage began to feel less like open space and more like a room closing in.
Some fans treated Zilisch’s signing as the final nail. But Suarez rejected that reading. He said his discomfort dated back to 2024, which is when he first started feeling uneasy. He no longer felt at home and felt that the spark had faded. Suarez compared it to staying in a relationship because both people share a roof, even when the connection has run its course.
He also cited tension that surfaced when crew chief Matt Swiderski joined the No. 99 group. Suarez believed Swiderski’s coming exposed structural gaps that clashed with his expectations. And while Suarez raised concerns, he felt his words did not land. Losing that voice within the room signaled the start of his exit.
Still, Suarez views it as part of the sport. Seats change hands. Teams evolve. He has landed at Spire Motorsports and speaks of the organization with belief. He points to how they operate and the pace they bring. And for him, that is what matters now.
