Although a lengthy pit stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course withheld Daniel Suárez from a pivotal win, there should still be plenty of optimism within the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing camp heading into the final two regular-season races.
WATCH: Suárez discusses ‘heartbreaking’ finish at Indy
While the pit stop incident in question might be four days in the rearview mirror, the error still resonates. After being a steady front-runner during the opening portion of the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard, Suárez brought his Chevrolet to pit row on the 48th circuit of a scheduled 82-lap contest. An air hose tangle with the left-front tire, however, created a 10-second gap behind Michael McDowell, and while Suárez was able to dig out of the deficit by close to half by the race’s end, it was not enough to overtake the No. 34, which eventually took home the hardware and clinched a coveted spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
A slow stop might suggest a disturbing trend, but a glimpse at the data suggests the misfire might be an anomaly instead of a new norm. Headlined by front-tire changer Josh Bush, rear-tire changer Jerick Newsome, tire carrier Jeremy Kimbrough, jackman Josh Appleby and fueler Milan Rudanovic, the No. 99 has delivered the fastest four-tire pit stop in five races this season (Auto Club, Talladega, New Hampshire, Richmond-2 and Michigan). And while the miscue might have weakened his average four-tire time compared to two weeks prior, the team remains the eighth-best in that department.
MORE: Playoff Watch | 2023 Cup Series standings
Despite the unfortunate circumstances, a third-place result wasn’t an entire loss. A still-strong points day means Suárez is only 28 points below the 16-driver postseason grid. But make no mistake: No matter how nice points are, Suárez is still hungry for a victory, and with another road course on the docket — this time at Watkins Glen International — an opportunity to lean on a fast No. 99 machine and a still-efficient pit crew could very well be the difference-maker to seizing the win and clinching a playoff berth this time around.
See below to analyze additional pit-road statistics through Indianapolis and before Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
TEN FASTEST FOUR-TIRE PIT STOPS IN 2023
| Rank | Track | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sonoma | Kyle Busch | 9.185 seconds |
| 2 | Richmond-2 | Daniel Suárez | 9.260 seconds |
| 3 | Richmond-2 | Ty Gibbs | 9.276 seconds |
| 4 | Nashville | Kyle Larson | 9.281 seconds |
| 5 | Sonoma | Austin Cindric | 9.301 seconds |
| 6 | Richmond-1 | Corey LaJoie | 9.309 seconds |
| 7 | Nashville | Daniel Suárez | 9.333 seconds |
| 8 | Richmond-2 | Ty Gibbs | 9.343 seconds |
| 9 | Charlotte | William Byron | 9.383 seconds |
| 10 | Richmond-2 | Denny Hamlin | 9.408 seconds |
BEST AVERAGE FOUR-TIRE PIT STOP TIMES IN 2023
| Rank | Number | Driver | Average stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | William Byron | 11.040 seconds |
| 2 | 1 | Ross Chastain | 11.107 seconds |
| 3 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | 11.182 seconds |
| 4 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | 11.207 seconds |
| 5 | 5 | Kyle Larson | 11.228 seconds |
| 6 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | 11.324 seconds |
| 7 | 10 | Aric Almirola | 11.331 seconds |
| 8 | 99 | Daniel Suárez | 11.345 seconds |
| 9 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | 11.360 seconds |
| 10 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | 11.374 seconds |
BEST PIT CREW BY RACE IN 2023
** Pit times are in seconds
| Track | Fastest 4 Tire Pit | Average 4 Tire Stop |
|---|---|---|
| Daytona | William Byron 11.278 | Kyle Larson 12.763 |
| Auto Club | Daniel Suárez 9.777 | Ross Chastain 10.896 |
| Las Vegas | Alex Bowman 9.776 | Chase Briscoe 10.259 |
| Phoenix | Ty Gibbs 9.643 | Corey LaJoie 10.404 |
| Atlanta | Kyle Busch 10.243 | Kyle Busch 11.094 |
| COTA | Martin Truex Jr. 9.684 | Austin Dillon 10.668 |
| Richmond | Corey LaJoie 9.309 | Alex Bowman 10.388 |
| Bristol Dirt | NA | NA |
| Martinsville | Kyle Larson 9.677 | Kyle Larson 10.051 |
| Talladega | Daniel Suárez 11.011 | Ross Chastain 11.577 |
| Dover | Brad Keselowski 9.766 | Brad Keselowski 10.099 |
| Kansas | Bubba Wallace 9.509 | Bubba Wallace 10.121 |
| Darlington | Kevin Harvick 9.576 | Martin Truex Jr. 10.162 |
| Charlotte | William Byron 9.383 | William Byron 10.008 |
| Gateway | Ty Gibbs 9.710 | Alex Bowman 9.743 |
| Sonoma | Kyle Busch 9.185 | Kyle Busch 10.089 |
| Nashville | Kyle Larson 9.281 | Chase Briscoe 10.081 |
| Chicago Street | Chase Elliott 11.877 | Kyle Larson 12.799 |
| Atlanta | Alex Bowman 10.177 | Daniel Suárez 11.044 |
| New Hampshire | Daniel Suárez 9.677 | Denny Hamlin 10.176 |
| Pocono | Denny Hamlin 9.810 | Ross Chastain 10.327 |
| Richmond | Daniel Suárez 9.260 | Ty Gibbs 9.764 |
| Michigan | Daniel Suárez 9.777 | Austin Dillon 10.310 |
| Indianapolis RC | Ty Gibbs 11.178 | Ty Dillon 12.279 |