Daniel Suarez‘s stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story of his impact at Spire Motorsports. While his performance hasn’t jumped off the page, the team insists he’s the catalyst they needed.
Daniel Suarez and Spire Motorsports’ rebuilding journey
“I can’t really say enough about what Daniel Suarez has done, coming into our organization as far as being a teammate, being an example, and, really, being there for all of us,” Luke Lambert said, after the race at Talladega. Suarez appears to be the final piece of the puzzle for Spire, and they are now working in the right direction.
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He replaced Justin Haley on the team. While Suarez might not be bringing in wins or even top 10 finishes, he has kept the #7 Chevrolet in a consistent position. He has been battling well in the midfield and kept that up earlier in the eventful race at Talladega.
“I think that was a piece that really elevated our program. Those guys and girls on that team, Ryan Sparks, they’re doing a great job putting a fast race car on the race track,” Lambert added.
There’s more to a team’s performance than just race wins. Suarez is one of the more experienced drivers that Spire currently has. His inputs to the #7 crew benefit both him and Spire. And that was evident at Talladega as Carson Hocevarclinched his first Cup win, bringing in Chevy’s second of the season.
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This seems to be the right structure for Spire Motorsports right now. While Suarez is contributing in the background, helping build the team’s core through his experience and on-track command, Hocevar is making the most of it and clinching the top finishes with the #77 crew.
Why a lot of work remains for Suarez at Spire
Despite all the positive words the team has shared for Suarez and the entire #7 crew, the entire Spire Motorsports crew is still far from consistent. Sure, Hocevar finishes in the top spots, but for Suarez himself, there are higher targets than just being a background contributor to the team’s overall development.
Speaking to the media a few weeks ago, he had opened up about the work that remains within the team: “So definitely we’re not good, but we still certainly, you know, working hard to be able to be faster,” he said. “There is a group of cars like those guys, I don’t know, a little bit faster than us still. So, working hard on that, but we definitely have a good group of people. It’s far more sports than I believe that we’re gonna get there.”
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Practice Feb 14, 2025 Daytona Beach, Florida, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez 99 during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach Daytona International Speedway Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xPeterxCaseyx 20250214_pjc_bc1_089
So far, he has finished within the top 10 twice this season, but it is quite apparent that his crew and he are clinching more competitive results, a clear focus for the team.
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Michael McDowell, driver of the #71 Chevy, had also spoken about the resources that Suarez brings to the team as a driver: “He brings a level of intensity that is really refreshing for me here,” he told NASCAR. “Like last year, I felt like I was kind of that guy that was pushing on everything, right? Like you’re pushing to, not make changes, but just to make improvements and make things better. And now I’ve got somebody to help push with me.”
Amid the praise for Suarez’s contributions, chatter about a potential future replacement like Kyle Busch has emerged. However, that seems unlikely given how well the team is currently working with him.
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