Daniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing just cruised into victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway, nailing his 2nd-ever Cup Series win. The win was a big deal for him, burying any rumors about his spot on the team led by Justin Marks. Marks himself paused to appreciate the moment, seeing Trackhouse Racing’s driver hit the winner’s circle again for the first time since June 2022. The co-owner also dived into the chatter about Suarez being in the “hot seat” for the #99 car.

Justin Marks is totally behind Daniel Suarez

After a year without wins, especially when his teammate Ross Chastain managed to get two wins, there were whispers about Suarez’s future at Trackhouse Racing as he was heading into the last year of his contract. With the team growing, so did the speculation about his spot on the team. But team co-owner Justin Marks made it clear that even with the tough times last year, Suarez was always their guy.

Brushing off the gossip, Marks spilled in a post-race chat: “On the hot seat? He just didn’t have the year that he wanted last year. But we know that he can get it done, and he’s a guy that can get it done. I don’t envision necessarily a situation where Daniel is not a driver for Trackhouse Racing.”

And on SiriusXM NASCAR, Marks doubled down, “We never, ever lost faith in Daniel Suarez. He’s an incredible human being and an unbelievable race car driver. And so coming into 2024, You know, we made some moves, obviously a new crew chief, tried to make some moves around him to… to give him the tools, you know, showcase where he’s capable of doing and you saw that tonight, what he’s capable of doing.”

Marks continued appreciating his driver, saying that Suarez has what it takes to win races and chase down championships. It’s on the team at Trackhouse to back him up with everything he needs to flaunt his skills. And at Atlanta, he proved his mettle. Marks said, “He’s a phenomenal driver, and he’s right where he belongs – winning races with us.”

Now that Suarez has likely punched his ticket to the playoffs, he and the team are setting their sights on the championship trophy.

After ending the speculation about his future, #99 will aim to win the championship now

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Following an exciting finish that was so tight NASCAR had to squint at the replay to call the winner, Suarez showed everyone the kind of magic that comes with top-notch aerodynamics and driving skills. But, when folks started hinting he might be breathing easier now that he’s likely playoff-bound, Suarez just shook his head at the idea.

He’s not just here to win a race or two; he’s in it to win the whole shebang. With Atlanta setting the stage for the playoff’s kick-off, Suarez pumped up with Max Swiderski joining as the new crew chief, is all about stacking up more wins and ditching any “contract talk” from 2023 after he inked a one-year extension.

Suarez brushed off the hot seat buzz, saying, “I never felt like I was in the hot seat. A lot of people were talking about it. […] I knew that last year wasn’t the year that I really wanted. […] We worked hard, but we were not efficient. We were missing something. We were not firing on all eight cylinders.”

Read More: “There Is More Coming” – Daniel Suarez Silences Doubters After Ending His Winless Streak

He added, “I feel that right now we are slowly making steps in the direction of where I want to be, where I want to go with this race team, that I want to accomplish to be able to win several races a year, to be able to be strong in the playoffs, not just to make the playoffs but to be strong in the playoffs and to be able to have a real shot for the championship.”

Suarez even mentioned feeling a shift in the team vibe before clinching Sunday’s race. Despite a tough 34th place at Daytona’s season opener and leading just two laps, he sensed a change in the wind for the team.