RICHMOND, Va. – When they payday window opened Saturday night at Richmond Raceway, Daniel Suarez answered.
The Joe Gibbs Racing rookie rallied from a mediocre race to earn what was believed to a fifth-place finish in the Federated Auto Parts 400. However, when the field was frozen on the final lap for an incident between Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., further review by NASCAR officials scored Suarez seventh in the final unofficial rundown.
Still, the performance was the reigning XFINITY Series champion ninth top-10 finish of the year.
Nothing but a win would sail the Monterrey, Mexico native into the post-season playoffs, but the consistency from the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team is strong enough to put the likable driver in contention to steal a win away from the spotlight playoff hopefuls with 10 races remaining.
Suarez heads to Chicagoland Speedway for the first time in a Cup car next weekend. The Joliet, Ill.-based track has been relatively kind to the NASCAR Next alumnus with three consecutive top-10 finishes including a fourth-place finish last September which sent the 25-year-old into the XFINITY Series post-season and eventual championship.
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