Daniel Suarez will continue his journey in the NASCAR Cup Series next season as the new driver of the newly formed team owned by former NASCAR driver Justin Marks.
Trackhouse Entertainment Group founded and owned by Marks announced Wednesday that will launch its new NASCAR Cup Series team beginning with the 2021 Daytona 500 with the former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion as its driver.
The team, Trackhouse Racing Team will field the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Suarez and will operate with an alliance with Richard Childress Racing next season.
The alliance includes technology, intellectual property, human capital, and engineering. Trackhouse will be powered by ECR which announced last week a formal coloration with Hendrick Motorsports that also begins next season.
Marks has leased a Cup charter from Spire Motorsports guaranteeing the presence of the No. 99 entry for all points-paying events next year.
Ty Norris who held executive vice president and general manager roles at Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Michael Waltrip Racing is continuing a similar role with Trackhouse as president of racing operations which will operate out of Welcome, N.C.
“The formation of a top-level NASCAR Cup Series team has been a dream of mine for a long time,” said Marks.
“A lot of hard work has transpired to get us to this point, and I don’t think we could’ve ended up with better partners in RCR and Chevrolet and with a more passionate and committed driver than Daniel Suárez.
“Daniel’s drive and hunger to get to the top of this sport is palpable every time I am in his presence. We are building a team of winners and Daniel has delivered just about every time he’s sat in race-winning equipment.
“It’s my job now to put a car underneath him that will carry him to the highest echelon of the sport.”
While 2021 will mark the third different team that Suarez has competed with, the Monterrey, Mexico native does bring plenty of experience and accolades with him to his latest opportunity.
In 2016, Suarez became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race beating Kyle Busch in a thrilling NASCAR Xfinity Series finish at Michigan International Speedway.
He is also a successful graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program.
Later that year, Suarez, 28 captured the 2016 Xfinity Series championship at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway and was propelled to the Cup Series fulltime in 2017 with Joe Gibbs Racing when Carl Edwards abruptly retired.
Entering Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Suarez has 138 Cup Series starts with eight top-five and 32 top-10 finishes along with two poles.
“I see in Trackhouse a great opportunity for me with a very strong group of people that share the same vision, commitment and goals that I have,” Suarez said. “Justin has been involved in the racing world for over 20 years and understands the ins and outs of the sport both as a driver and from the business side.
“I have learned a lot in the last few years and have been very fortunate to be a part of very good organizations. I have learned that this sport is about people, and I know we are going to work very hard to put together a talented team. Furthermore, getting the support from a strong manufacturer like Chevrolet will be a key to our success.
“My goal is simple, I want to win races.”
One of the more ambitious young owners to dive deep into his new foundation, Marks has committed Trackhouse Racing team to making an impact on youth in America’s minority communities.
Through a sizable contribution from the Marks Family Foundation, as well as support from the team’s partners, Trackhouse will design and execute an immersive STEM education initiative aimed at exposing America’s underrepresented youth to career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Using NASCAR racing as a curriculum platform, Trackhouse will work with school districts, community organizations and youth groups to build the most impactful roadmap for those who are inspired to pursue STEM careers.
Marks said on Wednesday, he hopes to work with 1,000 students or more in 2021 during the initiative.
“I believe deeply in the direction NASCAR’s executive group is taking the sport,” Marks said. “There is a disruptive and courageous vision for the future taking place that is displayed by the incredible 2021 racing schedule and new ways of looking at a sustainable economic model culminating in the debut of the 2022 NextGen car that, in my opinion, will lay the groundwork for a dramatic value proposition for future owners, media partners, stakeholders and sponsors for decades to come.
“Everything Trackhouse will be doing in 2021 from a business development standpoint will be in the context of positioning ourselves to win races and championships as NASCAR embarks on a new chapter in 2022 and beyond.”
While no sponsors were mentioned for next season, Marks said the team is in on-going discussion with prospective partners and strongly feels they will have five partners or more aboard for their freshman season of Cup Series competition.
Other housekeeping items including a crew chief for Suarez will be announced at a later date.
The feedback, kind words, and support from everyone today has been breathtaking. All I can say is this: @TeamTrackhouse will work every day to not only win races at the highest level, but be a team a team every @nascar fan is proud to have in their sport.
— Justin Marks (@JustinMarksDG) October 7, 2020
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