Following Connor Zilisch’s arrival as a part-time driver for Trackhouse Racing, speculation quickly gathered steam around Daniel Suarez’s future with the team.
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Among the three full-time Cup Series drivers — Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez, and Shane van Gisbergen — Chastain currently sits 11th in the standings with two top-five and six top-10 finishes. SVG, in his rookie season, holds 35th place. Suarez, who was the first driver to sign with Justin Marks’ team, is 27th in points with only a single top-five result.
Given this performance gap, many fans believe Suarez is sitting on the hot seat and may be shown the door if results do not improve, and Zilisch might be given the Cup opportunity, given his impressive Xfinity and ARCA performances. However, with Trackhouse Racing’s recent struggles in qualifying and overall speed, especially compared to their 2022 pace, Suarez addressed the situation by pointing out that the challenge extends beyond his individual performance.
In a recent interview with Beating and Banging, Suarez acknowledged the team’s broader struggles in 2025, asserting that pressure is not confined to his role alone. In his view, the entire organization faces scrutiny. He emphasized that everyone, including himself, is under the microscope, and the focus now must shift toward finding more speed. Competing for positions around 15th to 25th, he stated, does not move the needle.
He made his stance clear: “The hot seat and all those things — all that stuff for me is just noise, like it just happens. But at the end of the day, we have to get better as a team because if we don’t get better, guess what? Trackhouse won’t want to have me back. And I won’t be happy staying anyway. So we want to be better.”
Does @Daniel_SuarezG feel like he’s on the hot seat? The @TeamTrackhouse driver is incredibly candid with his answer. pic.twitter.com/7DJYfZpPkV
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) May 14, 2025
Drawing a parallel with a relationship, Suarez remarked that success only comes when both parties pull their weight. If the effort becomes one-sided, the foundation begins to crack. He acknowledged that in 2022, the team consistently fought inside the top-five and top-10, chasing victories. Now, he noted, they sometimes reach the top-10 only when a large portion of the field is wiped out.
Suarez did not mince words about Trackhouse Racing’s current form in 2025. With the addition of Shane van Gisbergen, the three-car operation has faced its share of setbacks.
Suarez admitted, “We are lacking a lot of speed. We don’t have a lot of speed. We’re working very hard to try to find it, but we’re behind. Normally, when you’re behind, you pay the price, right? And, right now, I believe that we’re paying the price a little bit of being behind.”
Still, Suarez tipped his hat to his #99 crew. He credited the team for putting in solid work across several areas. He also held himself accountable, admitting that mistakes have been made across the board.
The hard truth, according to him, is that the team currently lacks the pace needed to consistently run at the front. Their only way forward is to keep their heads down and stay the course.
