In what was his first competitive outing with Spire Motorsports, Daniel Suarez started the exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium from P20. He was, in fact, the final driver to secure a transfer into the main event through qualifying. From that position, he cut through the field and finished the race in P4, overcoming issues with the car.
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Suarez faced balance issues early in the race and had voiced concerns that his #7 Chevrolet felt tight. Despite those issues, he advanced to 16th by Lap 50. Suarez then used wet-weather tires to full effect after restarting from P11 and surged forward.
Throughout the race, the Mexican ace refused to yield track position. He treated every rival the same manner, including former teammate Shane van Gisbergen. His intense focus on maintaining race intensity was evident on Lap 164. After Chase Briscoe cleared SVG for the P2 spot, Suarez followed through Turn 4 and overtook his former Trackhouse Racing teammate to claim P3.
Earlier in the race, at the midpoint of the 200-lap main event, Suarez had tangled with Bubba Wallace. As the field slowed under caution, he made contact with Wallace’s rear bumper. The #23 driver reacted immediately by steering Suarez into the grass even as the caution remained out. Both drivers showed each other middle fingers after the incident.
Despite the chaos, Suarez was happy to compete at Bowman Gray and expressed his love for the track immediately after the race. “I love it. I think it’s great. I mean, honestly, it’s a very small track for these cars. I wish it were more,” he said, before talking about the track’s atmosphere and history.
“It’s about the history, right? About the history of the place, the fans. It’s not just about what we drivers like to do, right? If you ask me, I prefer a bigger track, but the atmosphere here with the fans and the energy is very… It’s hard to match,” Suarez added.
The Mexican emphasized that the environment, crowd, and tradition carried weight beyond driver preference when it comes to tracks such as Bowman Gray.
Daniel Suarez, who finished fourth tonight, says of the run-ins he had with others that he races the way he is raced. Says the situation with Bubba was a misunderstanding and that he wasn’t pleased with some things SVG did on the track but they’ll move on without talking. pic.twitter.com/mdbx7oMKr1
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) February 5, 2026
“And that’s what makes this place very special. So, I wouldn’t mind coming back again. I think today was a lot of fun, especially because the second half of the race was completely different with the rain. So, I enjoyed that part a lot,” the Spire Motorsports driver added.
Suarez also spoke about the confrontation with Wallace, stating that the resentment did not spill over outside the track. His frustration was directed at “other people” during the race, not at Wallace, he said.
When discussing his clash with SVG and his approach to racing former teammates, Suarez said that his racing tactics remain consistent. He races others the same way they race him, without exception, regardless of past alliances. Well, Suarez clearly means business this season and wants to target victories with his new team.
