“I Didn’t Feel Like This Was My Home Anymore”: Daniel Suárez Reveals True Feelings About Trackhouse Stint

Daniel Suarez began his Cup Series journey in 2017 and bounced between Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Gaunt Brothers Racing before Trackhouse Racing became his first true long-term home from 2021. But over time, that sense of belonging faded.

Even before the musical chairs of 2025 began, Suarez admitted that something had shifted at Trackhouse, and he no longer felt grounded within the organization he helped build. The rapid rise of Shane van Gisbergen, a road-course master, intensified the feeling.

Add in the arrival of Connor Zilisch and Ross Chastain’s dominance over Suarez since joining the team a year later, and the competitive landscape started to resemble a shrinking room for the Mexican. When Zilisch was almost confirmed for a Cup seat, many observers saw it as the final signal that Suarez’s days were numbered.

But Suarez insists the story stretches well beyond statistics and new signings. “The last year has been very difficult, and I haven’t been happy. A lot of things have changed, like everything in life. People change. Business change. It’s OK. It’s part of it,” he said, adding that the transition felt overdue.

“I’m just very happy that there is going to be a change because I didn’t feel like this was my home anymore for some reason. Even though I love many people [at Trackhouse], I wasn’t having fun anymore, and I didn’t like that,” he continued.

Suarez had hinted this previously, albeit in quieter tones. For months, he said, subtle shifts within Trackhouse, both operational and interpersonal, left him feeling out of place. Suarez compared the dynamic to staying in a relationship purely because both parties share a house. “Lately, there have been things that have made me feel that I am not as important,” he stated.

Suarez also pointed to internal friction that crew chief Matt Swiderski helped reveal when he joined the No. 99 group. According to Suarez, Swiderski’s arrival highlighted structural concerns within the organization that hadn’t aligned with Suárez’s expectations. Suarez voiced those concerns, but progress, he said, was at a crawling pace.

Others inside the building acknowledged the same issues, but Suarez believed his feedback wasn’t being absorbed. That sense of losing influence, he noted, marked the beginning of the end.

Suarez heads into 2026 to race with Spire Motorsports, carrying a renewed conviction. At 33, he believes he stands at the crossroads of experience and athletic peak.

The Mexican driver even labeled himself “probably one of the fittest drivers in the garage,” emphasizing that he has the mileage and the youth to capitalize on what he considers his prime window. Suarez feels he can offer a blend of maturity, speed, and insight that not every driver can replicate.

Winning at the highest level, Suarez reiterated, requires building and aligning the right group around the car. As he steps into his new chapter with Spire, he believes he has the environment and the clarity to do precisely that.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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