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Daniel Suarez, Let Go By Trackhouse, Lands New Ride For 2026 NASCAR Season

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
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Daniel Suarez

Daniel Suarez is no longer just a candidate to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet being vacated by Justin Haley at season’s end.

Spire Motorsports announced Wednesday that Suarez is the man for the job.

So, what in the view of Suarez and his future team makes this a good match?

Daniel Suarez Calls Move To Spire Motorsports ‘A No-Brainer’

Daniel Suarez, who learned over the summer that he wouldn’t return to Trackhouse Racing in 2026, has been with Trackhouse since 2021.

Over his nearly five full seasons with organization owned by former NASCAR driver Justin Marks, Suarez has captured a pair of NASCAR Cup Series victories.

The 2025 season has been a huge struggle, however, for the Mexico-born driver. Along with missing the playoffs, he’s been shut out of Victory Lane in 34 starts this year. Even more indicative of his woes, Suarez is a lowly 28th in the standings.

Suarez’s performance issues coupled with Trackhouse’s desire to promote NASCAR Xfinity Series sensation Connor Zilisch to a Cup Series seat for 2026 ultimately left Suarez without a ride.

But rather than being forced to settle for a major demotion, Suarez joins a Spire Motorsports outfit that has been extremely competitive at times this season.

How competitive? Carson Hocevar and Michael McDowell — the two drivers who Suarez will have as teammates next year — have combined for 14 top-10 finishes this year. Five of those top-10s have been top-fives.

Understandably, Suarez is excited about linking up with Spire — a young organization on a clear upward trajectory — and its owner, Jeff Dickerson.

“To be quite honest with you, it was a no-brainer,” Suarez, who signed just a one-year contract with the team, said during a Wednesday media availability. “Three years ago, I probably wasn’t looking at Spire Motorsports as an option. Right now, I believe that it’s the fastest-growing team in NASCAR. And I want to be part of that. I know that they are not even close to being done. They are just getting started.”

Daniel Suarez And Spire Motorsports Both Have Something To Prove

With Justin Haley as its driver this year, the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevy has posted only two top-10 finishes. Haley is 31st in points. To put this in perspective, only five other full-time drivers rank worse in the standings.

Team owner Jeff Dickerson believes Daniel Suarez can significantly boost the results of the No. 7 bunch.

“I think when it came down to it, it’s just a thing where I think we need each other,” Dickerson said. “I think all of us love a good story of redemption and giving people a platform to prove doubters wrong.

“So, I think in this case, I think Daniel wants to show everybody that this year was an outlier. And we wanted to show everybody that the No. 7 car’s performance this year is an outlier, as well.”

Indeed, Suarez is confident that he and his soon-to-be-new team are capable of accomplishing so much more than they have this season.

“I believe that we both have some things that we want to get back in place,” said Suarez, whose current primary sponsor, Freeway Insurance, is joining him at Spire. “And we are hungry to do that. I’ve been extremely, extremely anxious to get this day and to get to work, because I know that it’s going to take some work.

“This off-season is very busy. But I just can’t wait to get to work with this group. I know that they are capable of a lot. And I can’t wait to get going.”

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
Jared Turner is a motorsports writer who has covered NASCAR for 20 years. He has interviewed over 20 NASCAR Hall of Famers and around 100 drivers, crew chiefs, and team owners, both past and present. He has also covered the sport for FOX Sports (where he was a two-time recipient of the FOX “X” Award for “Xtraordinary” job performance), NASCAR.com, Sporting News, NASCAR Pole Position Magazine, the SPEED network, and plenty of other online and print-only publications throughout his career. Notably, Jared has penned dozens of articles for NASCAR souvenir programs, including several featured prominently in Daytona 500 keepsakes. A Virginia Press Association award winner and former member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Jared has racked up accolades both for his writing and his academic work. He studied both Communication and Psychology at Virginia Tech, where he was permanently enshrined in Phi Beta Kappa — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Jared excels at feature writing and opinion writing, much of which stems from his dedication to all levels of racing.
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