The NASCAR Cup Series could be in for a quiet silly season heading into 2026. However, one storyline to keep an eye on is what happens with Daniel Suarez and Trackhouse Racing. Suarez’s current contract ends at the conclusion of this year, and it is not a given that he will be back in the No. 99 car next season.
Suarez is Trackhouse’s original driver. He started with Justin Marks’ organization in 2021 when the team was a single-car operation and before Marks bought out Chip Ganassi Racing. Before that, Suarez drove for three different Cup Series teams in four seasons, including a rough 2020 campaign with Gaunt Brothers Racing where Suarez failed to score a single top 10 finish. Although Trackhouse was a new and unproven team, Suarez had the opportunity to race with an organization where he would be the primary focus. Marks’ faith in Suarez paid off with a win nearly three years ago at Sonoma Raceway. Suarez earned his second career win at Atlanta Motor (now EchoPark) Speedway in 2024 in a thrilling three-wide finish.
However, after four and a half seasons of racing, Trackhouse is a much different team now than it was in 2021. Ross Chastain joined the organization in 2022 and earned the team’s first two victories. Although he ruffled some feathers along the way, Chastain made it to the Championship 4 race and cemented himself as a rising star of the sport. His latest victory came only a few weeks ago in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a major win that should return Chastain to the playoffs after a disappointing 2024.
Trackhouse is also fielding a third full-time car for Shane van Gisbergen in 2025. The former Australian V8 Supercars star shocked the NASCAR world in 2023 when he drove a Trackhouse Chevrolet to victory in the inaugural Chicago Street Race. Many had waited eagerly for SVG to take on the Cup Series full time, but so far, his rookie season has been a struggle. His only top 10 is at Circuit of the Americas back in March. While van Gisbergen is among the best in the sport at road courses, his lack of experience at ovals has made NASCAR’s top division a huge challenge for the New Zealand native.
Even with the introduction of a third car, Trackhouse has not solved its problem of too many drivers for too few seats. The team had Zane Smith under a development contract but parted ways with him at the end of last season. Trackhouse’s other development contract with Connor Zilisch is still active. Zilisch, who turns 19 years old next month, won his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut race last year. He is racing full-time in Xfinity for JR Motorsports in 2025 and already has a second victory to his name. Although he is still new to NASCAR, Zilisch has done well to live up to his reputation as one of the best prospects in the sport.
All of these changes put Suarez in a vulnerable position at Trackhouse. Chastain is clearly the team’s top driver and has the potential to challenge for championships. Van Gisbergen’s rookie season has been disappointing, but all of that could change if he wins one of the four road course races before the playoffs begin. Suarez has been better than van Gisbergen on a week-to-week basis, though it is fair to say that the No. 99 team has not performed up to expectations. Suarez’s only top five so far is a second at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he had a shot at the win but lost a late-race duel with Josh Berry. Suarez’s other two top 10s came later in the year and were followed by two finishes outside the top 30.
Last weekend’s race at Michigan International Speedway brought no relief. First, Suarez had to pit under green during the first stage for a blistered tire. He got his lap back quickly but then got spun in a multi-car accident on lap 67. Although he recovered from those early setbacks to finish 14th, Suarez is still 28th in points, 68 points below the playoff cut line.
If Trackhouse is anxious to move Zilisch to the Cup Series, the team would likely cut Suarez loose. Chastain has been the team’s most consistent contender, and it makes sense to keep van Gisbergen around when all it would take to get him into the playoffs is one road course win. Marks might conclude that he has seen Suarez’s ceiling as a Cup Series driver and that Zilisch has more upside for the future.
However, there is one other factor that Suarez has in his favor. Even though Zilisch is a highly regarded prospect, he will still be a teenager at the beginning of next season. The Cup Series features the best stock car racers in the world, and newcomers in their teens and early 20s take a while to adjust. Drivers like Joey Logano, Chase Elliott and William Byron did not step into their first Cup Series rides and immediately win races or even become weekly contenders. Zilisch might become a Cup Series star one day, but he has a lot to learn and considerable experience to gain before that day comes. A very green Zilisch is not more likely to reach the 2026 playoffs than Suarez, who is already 33 and has nearly a decade of Cup Series experience.
The best path forward for Trackhouse is to re-sign Suarez for another year and keep evaluating its driver lineup. Another season in the Xfinity Series gives Zilisch more time to learn, hone his race craft and perhaps even win a title. That pathway would benefit Zilisch more than getting tossed into the deep end of the pool and fighting for 25th every week as a Cup Series rookie.
Besides, Suarez could still pull off a win himself and save his season. He is no slouch on road courses either, and he might be more motivated to win in his home country as the Cup Series heads to Mexico City this weekend. However, with Zilisch waiting in the wings, the time for Suarez to step up his game is now. A win and a third playoff appearance in five seasons would go a long way to keeping Trackhouse’s original driver in the No. 99 for at least one more year.
Bryan began writing for Frontstretch in 2016. He has penned Up to Speed for the past eight years. A lifelong student of auto racing, Bryan is a published author and automotive historian. He is a native of Columbus, Ohio and currently resides in Southern Kentucky.