HAMPTON, Ga.: Daniel Suarez looked on point for scoring his first NASCAR Cup Series top-10 finish for Trackhouse Racing on Sunday at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, but a speeding penalty deep into Stage 3 threw the opportunity out the window.
Still, even with the mistake the day wasn’t a complete meltdown.
Throughout Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, Suarez’s No. 99 CommScope Chevrolet continued to improve throughout the 325-lap race.
Starting 25th, Suarez hovered inside the top-20 throughout much of Stage 1 and 2 and even battled Kyle Larson in the closing laps of Stage 2 to keep his Justin Marks and Pitbull-owned Chevrolet on the lead lap.
Beating Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet back to the start-finish line, Suarez was able to keep his No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro on the lead lap and set him up for a strong start to Stage 3.
From the drop of the green flag in Stage 3, Suarez took his consistency inside the top-20 to the top-10 and made moves at the bottom half of the top-10 throughout Stage 3.
Suarez rocketed his car inside the top-five for a few laps at one point, but his day was turned upside during a round of green flag pit stops that commenced at Lap 267. Leaving his pit box, he sped in section 13 which forced Suarez to return to pit road for a drive-thru penalty.
It appeared Suarez was busted when he tried to avoid being hit from behind by another competitor while exiting pit road.
Suarez’s No. 99 team emerged from the penalty 19th and one lap behind leader Kyle Larson.
Without a caution, Suarez wouldn’t have a chance to put himself back on the lead lap either through the free pass or strategy, but after addressing his penalty on Lap 269 with NASCAR, he used the remaining 56 laps to move up to 17th, the third car one lap down.
“Yeah, it was good,” offered Suarez. “I’m very proud of everyone in this group. They work very, very hard. They build a very fast car. It was a car capable of finishing in the Top 10, that’s for sure. I made a mistake on my part that kind of got us out of contention. But it’s something very good to build on.”
The finish was the team’s third top-20 finish in six Cup races this season, behind a 16th place finish at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course and a 15th at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.
Even though the penalty certainly hindered a potential top-10 run for Suarez and his No. 99 Trackhouse team, many were enthusiastic about the team’s performance, including team owner Marks.
“I’m obviously very proud of each and every member of this Trackhouse team,” Marks told CATCHFENCE.com. “We have a group of workers that are talented and believe in the vision and the opportunity we have. As a new team to come to Atlanta and drive into the top 10 like Daniel did just shows that we can build something special here.
“But the process remains the same. Learn, grow, lift each other up, and continue to focus on the job at hand. But what a wonderful day today seeing the No. 99 race with the big dogs. We’re on our way to being one of them. Just going to take time and patience.”
Travis Mack, the team’s regular crew chief was suspended from Sunday’s race after two lug nuts were left loose on the car last weekend at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway. Mack handed the reins to José Blasco-Figueroa who joined the team at the beginning of the season.
Although Suarez and Blasco-Figueroa have worked together before, it was the first Hispanic pairing of a driver and crew chief in NASCAR since 1959. The confidence in each other showed.
Thanks to Mack’s leadership and guidance from the Richard Childress Racing command center in Welcome, N.C. – it appears the team is poised to make more noise the deeper we digest the 2021 season.
“Yeah, he was good. Jose and I already know each other,” Suarez added. “So, it was good to have Jose today on the box, although we do miss Travis (Mack).
“Travis is very, very good and he already knows me. This was the first time ever working with Jose making the calls. I feel like, overall, it was a positive day. It’s just not the result that we deserve.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
