Less than a month remains until the Cup Series hits the high banks of Daytona for practice and qualifying. The countdown has hit the 20s, with Daniel Suarez and the 99 team leading this section off. Suarez will certainly be an interesting name to watch throughout the 2025 season. Despite making the playoffs last year, many assume Suarez has something to prove this season. With 29 Days to Daytona left to go, what is in store for the Trackhouse Racing #99 team?
The #99 Team
Driver: Daniel Suarez
Crew Chief: Matt Swiderski
Sponsors: Freeway Insurance, Jockey, Kubota, Worldwide Express, Tootsies
2024 Statistics:Â 1 Win, 4 Top-5s, 9 Top-10s, 209 Laps Led, 17.9 Average Finish
2025 Season Preview
Prime Silly Season Candidate
Although Daniel Suarez was the Trackhouse driver to make the playoffs last year, he is the Trackhouse driver with the most pressure to perform this season. Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen are pretty safe with their rides. Meanwhile, Connor Zilisch could be a tremendous Xfinity Series season away from Cup. The crowded driver roster already saw the departure of Zane Smith. If Suarez puts together another middling season, he could be facing a similar fate. His one-year extension puts that fact in a glaring light.
Unlocking More Consistency
Despite his potential hot seat status for 2025, it would be unfair to call Daniel Suarez’s unsuccessful. Suarez put together a career year in 2022 and advanced through to the Round of 12 last year. However, consistency has continuously been the issue. Moments of triumph have been dispersed through a few mediocre seasons. If Suarez could find more consistency, both in running at the front and winning, then maybe he could put some ice on his seat. Heading into his second season with crew chief Matt Swiderski, perhaps that consistency can be found.
Mexico City Dreams
When the Cup Series goes international for the first time since 1998, it will be in the home country of Daniel Suarez. Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is set to host a Cup and Xfinity Series race over the summer. Likely to compete in both races, Suarez will be extra motivated to claim those wins. There will be plenty of competition, especially considering the road course aces in the Cup Series. However, Suarez managed to overcome the additional pressure to win the NASCAR Mexico Series race in the LA Coliseum this year. Perhaps he can repeat history in his home country.
Daytona 500 Outlook
There are few drivers in the Cup Series with a worse history than Daniel Suarez at Daytona. In 15 starts, Suarez only has a single Top-10 with 11 DNFs. Further, Suarez has only managed to finish on the lead lap in 3 Daytona races. Throw in his failure to secure one of the open spots in the 2020 500 to boot as well. Simply put, Suarez and Daytona do not get along. Constantly finding or causing trouble, the goal for Suarez during 500 weekend is to go incident free.
Days to Daytona Countdown
40 Days: Team Penske #22; 39 Days: Team Penske #12; 38 Days: Hendrick #24;
37 Days: 23XI Racing #45; 36 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #20;
35 Days: Hendrick Motorsports #5; 34 Days: Hendrick Motorsports #9
33 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #11, 32 Days: Henrick Motorsports #48;
31 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #19; 30 Days: Team Penske #2
