DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.: Daniel Suárez and Gaunt Brothers Racing have been locked out of the Daytona 500.
On Lap 31 of the first Bluegreen Vacation Duels at Daytona, Suárez had just been lapped following a mid-race pit stop when Suarez and Ryan Blaney made contact exiting Turn 4 sending Suárez’s No. 96 Toyota Certified Vehicles Toyota Camry into the outside frontstretch wall.
Suarez’s mangled car came to rest in the frontstretch grass when a dejected driver climbed from his race car frustrated but uninjured.
Without the benefit of a NASCAR Cup Series charter, Suarez’s Gaunt Brothers Racing team is considered an open Cup Series team and not guaranteed into the “Great American Race.”
And since Suárez was not one of the fastest two qualifiers of the open teams during Daytona 500 qualifying this past Sunday, the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion had to race his way for a starting berth for the 62nd annual Daytona 500.
Evaluated and released from the infield care center halfway through his qualifying race Suárez was virtually speechless.
“It’s very simple. The 2 car (Keselowski) started putting his hand out the window super, super late, and I didn’t see him (do that). When I started going out, the 12 (Blaney) was there,” said the dejected Suárez.
“I don’t know, man. I’m getting tired of this.”
Suárez said he simply didn’t know that the Ford teams were pitting and with Blaney in the outside lane – Blaney’s No. 12 Ford had to dive down to the bottom to follow the congo line of his manufacturer teammates.
At the same time – Suárez saw Keselowski making the move to pit road and adjusted his line and the two connected and abruptly ended Suárez’s opportunity to compete in his fourth Daytona 500.
“The 2 (Brad Keselowski) car, he started getting his hand out of the window super, super late and I didn’t see him,” added Suárez. “When I started going out, the 12 (Ryan Blaney) was there.”
Blaney who will likely go to a backup car for Sunday’s 200-lap race said a lack of communication contributed to the crash.
“We should have never been in that spot in the first place,” offered Blaney. “It was just an error on my part and kind of a little lack of communication that didn’t end well.”
On to Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/Fayegn4JrL
— Gaunt Bros Racing (@GauntBrosRacing) February 14, 2020
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
