Last season, Daniel Suarez could not make it to the playoffs after he had a golden chance to win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but an error on pit road prevented him. This time, the Trackhouse Racing driver has already booked his spot in the final 16. He will be looking for redemption on the track that caused him a lot of heartbreak last season.
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Suarez had taken pole position last year at the IMS road course and finished high up in the order in the first and second stages. In the final stage, the 32-year-old seemed like the fastest man on the track. However, the air hose got stuck under the left front tire on the final stop and he lost 23 seconds in the process. At the end of the day, the best he could do from that position was a third-place finish.
A 23-second pit stop ended @Daniel_SuarezG's chance at a win at @IMS. @JustinMarksTH says Suarez performed at his highest level today.
"If I can grade ourselves today as a team from one to 10, I feel like we did a solid eight."https://t.co/oW84WDKEE1
— Dustin Albino (@DustinAlbino) August 14, 2023
“Obviously on Saturday, getting a good starting spot, and a good pit stall will help and on Sunday it will be about executing with no mistakes on the track and in the pits. I think we are going to put on a great show Sunday and I plan to be at the front,” he told Speedway Media.
Adversities often make one better and Suarez will be hoping for a better run at the track this year. However, unlike last time around, the racing at Indy will take place on the oval format instead of the road course.
Trackhouse Racing star shares his thoughts on return to Indy Oval.
Daniel Suarez has often performed well on road course races. Before Atlanta earlier this season, his only other win in the NASCAR Cup Series came at the Sonoma Raceway. The 32-year-old was a fan of the Indy road course, unlike most drivers in the competition today. However, he understands the importance of the Oval and what it means to the racing community.
“Well, I liked the road course here. I thought we had an advantage, but it’s hard to argue against racing on the oval here. There is so much history. Winning here would be so exciting and something you would talk about the rest of your life,” he added.
It’s true that winning a race on the Indy Oval and kissing the bricks afterward is a special feeling. Kyle Larson had also spoken about it recently in a media interaction. For Suarez, however, it will just be about redemption after what happened last year. Now that he is in the playoffs, a win will only help his momentum and points situation going into the round of 16.
