NASCAR’s haulers will head to Sin City this weekend for the fifth race weekend of the 2026 season. The first year under the freshly reintroduced Chase format has been a hit so far, and the upcoming race is expected to add to that. Speaking to the press this week, Daniel Suarez explained what should make Las Vegas a particularly interesting venue.
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Firstly, Suarez spoke about the location of the track, which sits in the middle of the desert. It will present a different challenge compared to what drivers have experienced so far this season, and one that could lead to some surprises.
“It sits out in the middle of the desert, so it can get pretty windy,” he said per Speedway Media.
“The car is very sensitive to the wind, and those conditions can change quite a bit, which makes it a challenge. The wind and weather in Las Vegas are also pretty unpredictable, so you just have to be able to feel the car and figure things out as the race goes on.”
Suarez finished as the runner-up in this fixture last season. He drove the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro for Trackhouse Racing then. Generally, a second-place finish would be something to be happy about. But he isn’t so. The pain he endured by letting victory slip through his fingers still stings. Which is why he appears very determined to set the scales right this time.
The Spire Motorsports driver continued, “Finishing second last year was very painful. Sometimes it’s almost better to finish fifth than second because second is just so close – especially the way I finished. I feel like there were a couple of things we could have done differently, but that’s racing. You live and learn.”
Is Suarez’s seat under threat? Again?
During his final years with Trackhouse Racing, Suarez was consistently under the threat of being replaced. There was always the talk that he would be given the axe if he didn’t perform well. And we all know how that ended. He moved to Spire Motorsports to drive the No. 7 car this season. It would only be fair if he expected a bit of calm weather in the new camp.
Unfortunately, talks of other drivers being considered for his seat are already underway. Veteran reporter Jordan Bianchi said on The Teardown recently that Spire will continue looking for top drivers to put in the No. 7 car if Suarez isn’t performing well. Names linked to the seat are Tyler Reddick and Kyle Busch.
Suarez secured his first top-5 with the team at Atlanta. He finished 25th at COTA and got a DNF at Phoenix last Sunday. Hopefully, he will bounce back with a strong result in Vegas.
