Daniel Suarez is out of a ride for the 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
Via a video message posted on Twitter, the 27-year-old confirmed that he will not return to Stewart Haas Racing’s No. 41 Ford Mustang after Sunday’s race (Nov. 17) at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Suarez, a three-year MENCS veteran, had been in the midst of a long contract negotiation to re-sign with SHR, but both parties failed to secure an agreement. Suarez cited sponsorship reasons for his dismissal in a Twitter video posted to fans.
A message for my fans ?? pic.twitter.com/GrnRGAmpFa
— Daniel Suárez (@Daniel_SuarezG) November 14, 2019
“We were not able to put all the funding and all the sponsors together right on time,” Suarez said. “We were extremely close — pretty much there, but there just wasn’t quite enough time. I’m extremely disappointed for the outcome, but it’s the way it is sometimes. I’m sure there will be something else waiting for me.”
Suarez, the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, made the jump to Cup in 2017. After competing for Joe Gibbs Racing for two seasons, the Monterrey, Mexico, native joined SHR in 2019. This season, Suarez has scored four top fives, 11 top 10s and a pole award.
A replacement for Suarez has not been officially named, but reports suggest that NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer is likely to fill the open seat.
UPDATE: Early Friday morning, Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed that Custer will replace Suarez in the No. 41 Ford for 2020.
NEWS: Stewart-Haas Racing will promote @ColeCuster from its #NASCAR Xfinity Series team to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. The nine-time Xfinity Series race winner will drive the No. 41 @Haas_Automation Ford Mustang. #SHRacing https://t.co/AalwcpM4M1
— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) November 15, 2019
Never at a loss for words, Zach Gillispie is a young, talented marketing professional from North Carolina who talks and writes on the side about his first love: racing! Since joining Frontstretch in 2018, Zach has served in numerous roles where he currently pens the NASCAR 101 column, a weekly piece delving into the basic nuts and bolts of the sport. Additionally, his unabashedly bold takes meshed with that trademarked dry wit of his have made Zach a fan favorite on the weekly Friday Faceoff panel. In his free time, he can be found in the great outdoors, actively involved in his church, cheering on his beloved Atlanta Braves or ruthlessly pestering his colleagues with completely useless statistics about Delma Cowart.