Daniel Suarez had an impressive weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway after winning the All-Star Open to join his teammate Ross Chastain for Sunday’s All-Star Race. During the exhibition race, the Mexican driver made his way from the back of the field, overtaking 18 cars to finally finish in P5.
The Trackhouse Racing Team driver said that he had the fastest car that day and acknowledged his team's efforts to build such a fast car. He believed that the No. 99 was among the best vehicles at one point in the race, but struggled with the tires in the end. The 30-year-old managed to bag a top-five finish despite the challenges he faced.
Speaking about his performance and struggles in the All-Star Race, Suarez stated:
“It was a huge fight. We started in the back, fought all the way to the top-10 or something like that and then tires changed. I’m just happy with the result. Hopefully we can close the deal next week in the Coca-Cola 600.”
Daniel Suarez’s racing weeked was an uphill battle since he did not qualify for the All-Star Race prior to arriving in Texas. The event was a 24-car event with only 20 cars locked in, which meant the others had to battle it out in the All-Star Open for the three open spots. The fourth driver, however, was to be voted in by the NASCAR Fan Vote.
Joey Logano edged Daniel Suarez to finish 4th in the All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway.
With the All-Star Open being one of the only two tickets to get into the All-Star Race, Daniel Suarez put his head down on Sunday and committed to scoring one of the three spots for the exhibition race. He joined his teammate Ross Chastain on the All-Star Race grid after winning the All-Star Open earlier that day.
Suarez started the race in P23, in the hopes of not only carrying the checkered flag, but also taking home the $1 million cash prize. Driving his No. 99 Freeway Insurance Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing Team, he made his way through the pack before sitting in the top ten at the end of Stage 3.
The Monterrey, Mexico native finished the third stage in P2 behind Ryan Blaney. However, he lost the position in Stage 4 to Austin Cindric and Denny Hamlin after they pushed him to P4. He was then edged out by Joey Logano and ultimately finished the race in P5.
He will be looking to maximize his car's performance in Charlotte on May 29, 2022.