Editor‘s note: This is the second in a series in which we review the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in reverse order of the 2025 final standings.
Driver: Daniel Suárez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Crew chief: Matt Swiderski
Final 2025 ranking: 29th
Key stats: 0 wins, 2 top fives, 7 top 10s, 35 laps led
How 2025 ended: There were flashes of excellence for Suárez throughout the year, but it wasn’t enough to make the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs in his ninth season. While Trackhouse teammates Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen reached the postseason, Suárez struggled to run consistently inside the top 15 and had an average finish of 20.9 — his worst in five seasons at Trackhouse and three positions behind his 17.9 mark in 2024.
Best race: Suárez nearly snuck his way into the playoffs early into the season at Las Vegas. Late-race strategy paid off for the likes of Suárez, Josh Berry and Ryan Preece as they found themselves toward the front of the field on the final restart. The No. 99 held the lead up until 16 laps to go when Berry passed Suárez and went on to win his first career Cup race. Suárez still finished second, which was one of two runner-up results on the year (Daytona summer).
RELATED: 2026 Cup Series schedule | Daniel Suárez driver page
Other season highlights: Suárez plated back-to-back top 10s at Talladega and Texas in the spring. Starting two weeks later, he had no finish worse than 19th between Nashville and Pocono, and during that four-race stretch, the Mexican-born driver arguably had the greatest drive of his career, taking the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet from last to first as the 33-year-old wheelman won the Xfinity Series race in his home country. He also ended the Cup Series regular season strong with three consecutive top-10 results, coming just 0.031 seconds short of a playoff bid in the Daytona regular-season finale as Ryan Blaney took the checkered flag.
Stat to know: Suárez led only 35 laps across the 2025 season, his lowest total since leading 20 laps in 2020 with Gaunt Brothers Racing.
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Quotable: “I‘m just enjoying. I‘m like a kid on Christmas. That‘s why you guys see me with a smile … I love the pressure. You put me against the wall, and I‘m going to come back at you swinging … So I‘m good with it. You know, this is just gonna be a better story. You know, we win on Sunday, and then we‘re gonna be laughing about, ‘hey, we almost didn‘t make practice.‘ You know, it‘s a shame that it happened, but we don‘t blame anyone. We just find solutions.” — Suárez on soaking up the spotlight in the Cup Series’ debut in Mexico City.
Looking ahead: Suárez will get a reset in 2026 as he moves on from Trackhouse to pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, teaming up with Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar. Suárez is seeking his first victory since the Atlanta spring race in February 2024 and his third career postseason appearance.