“99% of the People Lost Faith in Me”: After Tony Stewart Dismissal, Period of Uncertainty Plagued NASCAR Outsider Daniel Suarez

Trackhouse Racing was truly the revelation in every sense of the word in NASCAR this past season. Their success drove largely on the back of their talented drivers, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez.

What’s interesting about this dynamic duo is the fact that they’re both rejects of top teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing.

This was something Suarez recently opened up on in an interview with FOX Sports in which he reflected on his big year.

“This is the first time I had the opportunity to fight the entire year long,” Suárez said. “We had a handful of races we missed it by a lot. … It was a consistent fight. So, honestly, by the time, we got to Phoenix, I was exhausted.”

“I really needed to take a little bit of a break and relax my mind.”

Besides finding a place in a team that shows patience and commitment to him, Daniel Suarez also found his first Cup win in 2022 when he took the checkered flag in Sonoma.

It was truly a historic moment, but one which, for Suarez, is something he doesn’t “pinch” himself for.

“I don’t pinch myself for the win [compared to] where I was two years ago,” he said. “I would say 99 percent of the people lost faith in me. … It was good to come back and to confirm that I can still be a winner and successful at the Cup level.”

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Daniel Suarez was dumped by not one, but two big teams in NASCAR

It’s only natural that Daniel Suarez doesn’t take his place in Trackhouse Racing for granted, simply because he’s been through a lot over the years, and what he has now is something he has earned.

Not too long ago, Suarez was in his second year for Joe Gibbs Racing. But in September 2018, he was told he’d have to find a new team for the 2019 season, a problem he didn’t resolve until January 2019.

Then began Suarez’s short tenure with Tony Stewart’s Stewart Haas Racing in 2019. But again, he was told to find a new home in 2020. Now, the Mexican driver did manage to land a full-time ride with a part-time team, Gaunt Brothers Racing.

However, that part of his career too was tainted with disappointment as he finished 31st at the end of the season.

We all know what happened next for Daniel Suarez. Now things are different.

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He seems to have found a home now. And if things go the way they’re going for him and his team, it won’t be long before he too joins his teammate to crash the party with the big dogs who rejected him.