Daniel Suarez confirms he will not return to Trackhouse in 2026

NASCAR’s top foreign-born driver is looking for a new race team for the 2026 season. Daniel Suarez, a winner in all three national levels of the sport and the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, will not return to Trackhouse Racing Team next year.

There is no indication on where he might land, but Suarez himself has confirmed that he will not be driving the No. 99 Chevrolet.

“Trackhouse and I have mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the 2025 season,” said Suarez. “I’ve had some of the best years of my Cup Series career at Trackhouse. We had great successes as a team and I gained some incredible friends. We took a team nobody had even heard of in 2021 and in just a couple of years we were winning races and running upfront on a weekly basis.

“Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction. I wish Trackhouse nothing but the best, this 99 team will always be special to me. And like I always say, The best is ahead!”

Team owner Justin Marks said of Suarez’s exit:  “The role Daniel has played in the Trackhouse origin story and its first five years will remain a valued part of the company’s history forever. His commitment, work ethic and dedication to the effort is one of the most impressive things I personally have seen in my career.”

“We will forever be thankful and honored that Daniel chose to spend many incredible years with us. We are proud of his wins, his successes, the growth of his brand, and his emergence as a valuable athlete in America’s greatest motorsport. But, most of all, I’m proud of him as a friend. I’m truly excited to see what awaits him in the next chapter of his amazing career. We are grateful for the professionalism, effort and heart he’s brought to our organization.” 

While no announcement has been made regarding his replacement, it’s expected that 18-year-old rising star Connor Zilisch, who is already under contract with Trackhouse, will likely replace him in the No. 99 car.

Suarez started his Cup career with Joe Gibbs Racing before joining Stewart-Haas Racing. He linked up with the newly formed Trackhouse team in 2021 as its first driver. Together, he earned his first career win in the Cup Series at Sonoma in 2022. He won again at Atlanta in a three-wide photo finish last year. However, he has lagged behind teammate Ross Chastain, who has six wins and finished as high as second in the championship in 2022.

Suarez currently sits 29th in the 2025 standings, just 31 points ahead of rookie teammate Shane van Gisbergen. Chastain is far ahead of both of them, sitting eighth in the standings and locked into the playoffs after winning the Coca Cola 600.