What’s happening, NASCAR fans? We got our first real big domino in Silly Season to fall yesterday when it was announced that Daniel Suarez and Trackhouse Racing will split following the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. While it’s largely understood that Connor Zilisch is the favorite to replace Suarez at Trackhouse, many other drivers will be auditioning for that seat, so to speak. But on the flip side of that is: where will Daniel Suarez go from here? What are his options heading into the 2026 season? Here are some of the more prominent ones that have been floated.
The only viable option within the NASCAR Cup Series for Suarez is Kaulig Racing. While it isn’t known what Ty Dillon’s contract looks like post-2025, it wouldn’t at all be surprising to see the team ditch him in favor of Suarez. The real question is: would Suarez want to drive the 10 car for Kaulig? Well, if he insists on remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series, it may be his only legitimate (or maybe somewhat competitive) option.
There’s no room at Hendrick, 23XI (allegedly), Joe Gibbs Racing, or Team Penske. Josh Berry seems to be staying put at the Wood Brothers. Ryan Preece’s seat at RFK seems to be fairly safe as well. That leaves Suarez’s best Cup option being Kaulig. Kaulig Racing hasn’t exactly had the most stable Cup Series lineup in recent history. They’ve yet to find that flagship driver to work around. When they first went full-time in Cup, Justin Haley was their driver. He up and left, and they’ve had A. J. Allmendinger off and on the last year or so. If they want a driver to build a team around, Suarez (33) might be their best bet.
This is a popular one, for a number of reason. Some drivers get a taste of the NASCAR Cup Series and scoff about going back down to the lower series. They’d be more content riding around in 25th-38th every week than taking a pay cut and potentially being competitive. Other drivers, though, just want to win. If Daniel Suarez wants a better chance at winning week in and week out, dipping back down into the lower series might be his best option. And what would be a better team to dip down with than the team he just won with in his home country of Mexico a couple of weeks ago?
JR Motorsports is the best team, across the board, in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. There’s not really much of an argument to be had. They’ve won eight of the seventeen races so far this year. Suarez’s triumph at Mexico City was one of those wins. Their driver, Justin Allgier, is dominating the points standings. It’s not even close. If Daniel Suarez wants to be a contender, why not dip down with JRM and contend for a championship again? Hey, he won it back in 2016 with JGR. The cars are relatively the same. And hey, with JRM’s growing Cup ambitions, who knows? He could find himself back in the Cup Series someday.
This is another one that’s been tossed around online. Many fans are clamoring for Daniel Suarez to join the IndyCar ranks in 2026. It could happen. Suarez hasn’t really shared IndyCar ambitions, at least to my knowledge. But stranger things have happened. Heck, Jimmie Johnson made that switch a couple of years ago. And, with Suarez being 33 years old, I think he would perform better than JJ in that kind of role. He’s more adaptable.
It could happen. I’m not sure that it’s very likely. Suarez rose to prominence in the NASCAR Mexico Series. He’s an Xfinity Champion. He’s spent most of his professional racing career in the ranks of NASCAR. I don’t see him making a dramatic shift in career trajectory like that. But hey, who knows?
What do you think of all of this, Daily Downforce readers? Where do you think Daniel Suarez lands in 2026? Let us know your thoughts on this! Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates.
