DOVER, Del. – A good weekend got better for sophomore Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez at Miles’ Dover International Speedway.
Coming into the race weekend energized, Suarez, improved on his second-best qualifying effort of the season (seventh) before running a smart, calculated 400-lap race that ultimately led to his career-best third place finish in Sunday’s AAA 400.
Of course, the Monster Mile has proven to be a strong track for the Monterrey, Mexico native in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series days – but on Sunday, Suarez was in position to pounce if the two lead cars had issues and kept reigning Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. at bay too.
“Well, just overall, just very proud of my team,” said Suarez. “I would like to say that the entire year we have had good speed pretty much everywhere we go, top 10s, top 5s sometimes, cars. We just haven’t been able to get the deal done, and especially in the first month and a half of the season, just struggling a lot. But now just really proud of my team.
“I feel like I was putting a lot of pressure on myself earlier in the season, trying to put a lot of pressure on the team to get the results. The month and a half, couple months, has been more relaxed, just trying to have fun and trying to get things going by itself, and definitely, things are working better that way.
“Definitely just very proud of my team and Stanley, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing, TRD engines, everyone that makes this possible to come to the racetrack every weekend and perform the way that we do.
Suarez’s best finish since earning a third-place finish on the Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International road course boasts his fourth consecutive top-11 finish after what the 2016 Xfinity Series champion described earlier this weekend as a slow start to the year.
Thinking ahead, however, he believes his first Cup win may not too far off the horizon.
“I feel like if we keep running the way that we’re running today, top-five, top-10 pretty much all day long we were running in the top 10, I think it can happen any time,” added Suarez.
We just have to somehow beat the 4 car (Kevin Harvick). The 4 car today was in a different league. Normally if you can run in the top-five, you can have a shot any time. Like I said, overall very proud of my team. I feel like we are moving in the right direction. We just have to keep it up.”
Knowing that he had a strong car to start the race, the NASCAR Next alumnus said his car was the best at the end of the race.
“I think actually by the end of the race,” Suarez added “When you’re in the front, the car just came alive, for whatever reason. A lot of clean air and clean racetrack, and the car is just faster. I was running most of the day between sometimes in the top-five, in the top 10 all day long, and the car was strong running there, just going away a little bit too soon.
“My short run speed wasn’t great. But once I was in the front, I was able to overcome that with clean air.
We’ve had a rough first month and a half of the season, and in the last five weeks or so, we’ve been moving in the right direction. Very proud of everybody that makes these results possible.”
With his second career top-five finish and some stage points to boot, the 26-year-old leaped significantly in the point standings jumping five spots from 21st to 17th – and ultimately within sight of the Playoff cutoff spot.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver believed his team had the capability of pulling off performances like he did on Sunday – but for one reason or another – bad luck had struck his Scott Graves-led team and left them playing catchup after a rough month and a half to start the year.
Heading to Kansas Speedway on Sat., May 12, Suarez believes that his team can not only continue their recent surge in performance – but deliver another strong result for his No. 19 Toyota team.
I’m excited to go to Kansas,” sounded Suarez. “It’s been actually a good place for me, as well. Very fast, obviously. And looking forward to go there. You know, it’s always good when you have a good result and you have to go next week to try to match that or go even better.
“Definitely proud of my team, and right now I’m looking forward to working with my team and trying to go to Kansas just as strong as we did on this weekend.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
