The NASCAR Cup Series season has not unfolded the way Daniel Suárez hoped that it would. Now he has to get back in his rhythm. The good news is that the 99 team already has a win on the year from that unreal Atlanta finish.
Since that win at Atlanta, Daniel Suárez has just one other top-10 or top-5 finish to his record. P5 at Texas. Since that race, he has finishes of P27, P18, P27, P24, P24, and P23. Take away the win and this season is just as poor if not worse than his 2021 season.
Of course, Sonoma Raceway is where Suárez won his first career race and changed his entire career around. Speaking with media at Sonoma today, I asked Suárez about the summer stretch and how important it is to get things going again for the 99 team.
“I think it’s extremely important. You know the 99 team the last two months we’ve been trying a lot of different things, a lot of different stuff,” Suárez explained. “Some of that has worked, some of it isn’t. Right now we’re in a position where the next two months we have to have the mentality that we’re already in the playoffs and just trying to execute you know? Because it’s impossible to jump into the playoffs and flip the switch and be executing so we just have to get into that rhythm.”
With the NASCAR Playoffs being reworked, adding Watkins Glen into the format among other changes, Daniel Suárez believes it could play into his strengths. But it’s going to be a wild ride.
“Could be. I actually saw it like that a few months ago. So it could be. It’s a little bit more, more crazy that’s for sure. It’s going to be a little crazier than before, it was already crazy so it’s going to be even more. I’m excited.”
Sonoma is a place where Suárez has a big fanbase. He will have plenty of support all weekend here at the track. The results have to follow, though. A lack of speed and consistency has put this team in a bad position. They would be left out to dry had it not been for that win.
Daniel Suárez knows he has to be better. His team knows. Now, they have to go and actually do it. That is easier said than done, but this driver and team have shown resilience in the last few years. Don’t count them out just yet.
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