What’s Happening?

How’s it going, NASCAR fans? With the news that Daniel Suarez is out at Trackhouse at the end of the season, that number 99 car will need to be filled for 2026. With many of the larger teams full ahead of next season, that limits the number of available drivers drastically. While it’s largely understood that Connor Zilisch is the future of the team, there is some debate online as to whether or not he’s ready to take on the responsibility of being a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver. It is a big jump, competitively, between being an Xfinity Series driver and a Cup Series driver. Just ask Ty Gibbs.

With that being said, here are a few of the driver favorites to replace Daniel Suarez in the Trackhouse fold for 2026

You Need to Know:

• Trackhouse Racing was founded in late 2020 and launched in 2021. Daniel Suarez was announced as their flagship driver in the number 99 Chevrolet. Shortly after that, recording artist Pitbull joined the ownership group. Suarez remained with the team for five years and is expected to depart following the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
• Pitbull, a Suarez fan, left the ownership group in late 2024. This could have contributed to Suarez’s later instability with the team. 2024 was also a contract year for Suarez. Daniel Suarez and the team agreed upon a one-year deal for 2025, which could have been a move just to keep the seat warm for young Connor Zilisch.
• Where Suarez or the team will go from here is currently up in the air. However, we expect to hear some news in the coming weeks from both parties.

Connor Zilisch

The first (and maybe most obvious) option is to move Connor Zilisch straight up to Cup. Next year, he’ll be 19 years old, which is admittedly young. And, considering his struggles to put a full race together in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it’s within reason for fans to want him to stay in the Xfinity Series another year to gain more seat time. That said, it’s also within reason for Trackhouse to want to fast-track him. In his first Xfinity start last year, he won at Watkins Glen. He’s won two races this year already and has made three starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. In the third start, he stayed out of trouble and finished 11th.

It’s clear that Connor Zilisch is the long-term plan for the team. And Trackhouse might have the attitude of “why wait?” when it comes to giving him a full-time ride. After all, per Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club is looking to expand to a three-car operation, and JJ mentioned Zilisch by name as a possible driver for the third car. Maybe it’s in Trackhouse’s best interest to lock him down now. Daniel Suarez has seemingly hit his ceiling with the team. Meanwhile, for Zilisch, the sky’s the limit.

Ty Dillon

On the flipside, what if Trackhouse chooses to leave Zilisch in the Xfinity Series for another year to develop? They’d need a one-year driver to fill in the 99 car, not a long-term commitment. In recent years, Ty Dillon seems to be the go-to one-and-done driver. After Germain Racing shut down, he ran part-time for Gaunt Brother Racing in 2022 (while also running part-time for JGR in the Xfinity Series). Then, he had one-year stints at both Spire (in the 77 car) and Legacy Motor Club (in the 42 car) in 2022 and 2023 respectively. For 2024, he went part-time again but returned to full-time Cup Racing with Kaulig in 2025.

Trackhouse, in something of a driver swap, could be another one-year stop for Dillon to keep Zilisch’s seat warm in 2026.

UPDATE: Our sources have told us that Dillon is actually an extremely unlikely candidate, as his relationship with Kaulig involves millions of dollars in sponsorship.

Corey LaJoie

Just last week, after completing his role with the NASCAR on Prime coverage, Corey LaJoie returned to racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta. After being caught up in a massive crash, LaJoie said in an interview that the T. V. stuff was nice, but the “best seat in the house” is still behind the wheel of a racecar. Clearly, LaJoie still has the fire in him to drive. And, after being the guy at Spire and subsequently dumped by that team, there are a lot of parallels between him and Suarez. Wouldn’t it be an ironic twist of fate if LaJoie replaced Suarez for a one-and-done season until Zilisch was ready?

His deal with RWR is uncertain after the sale. Besides, LaJoie clearly wants something more. He’s long wanted to prove himself and his abilities. That was why he filled in for Chase Elliott when he got suspended back in 2023. If Trackhouse came knocking on his door with a one-year deal, it would likely be something LaJoie couldn’t pass up.

Kyle Busch

I know, this one’s a long shot. Kyle Busch likely wants to be somewhere long-term so that he can retire there. He had gone through the free agency stuff back in 2022 and didn’t much care for it. It’s very likely that KFB will retire with RCR in a few years, as much as Rowdy Nation might be dismayed to hear that. However, if given the chance, would KFB go to Trackhouse on a one-year deal? Probably not. But it would provide him with a better chance to win as Trackhouse is leaps and bounds better than RCR is currently. Again, it’s not likely but…maybe.

What do you think about this? Do you think that Zilisch is a lock for the 99 seat come 2026 or do you think they’ll let him simmer in Xfinity a little while longer? If they go that route, who do you think will replace Suarez in the 99 car? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.