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Daniel Suarez Takes Over Leadership Role as He Unmasks SVG & Zane Smith’s Collosal Challenges That Lie Ahead

Published 01/27/2024, 8:34 AM EST

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There’s nothing that Justin Marks isn’t doing to prepare a star-studded roster for Trackhouse Racing in 2024. Not only has the addition of Shane van Gisbergen in Xfinity and Zane Smith in the Spire-Trackhouse collaboration seat created an exciting atmosphere but they also recently revealed their MotoGP livery. So while it’s safe to say the team co-owned by legendary pop artist Pitbull is gearing up for a stellar season.

But while the bosses might believe that SVG and Zane Smith will quickly get up to speed, the bulk of their Championship chances will lie on Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez. Now is the perfect time for the Mexican to step up as a leader. Because if he doesn’t, a secure future at Trackhouse Racing might just be at risk.

Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain set to lead Trackhouse as they enter 2024

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Speaking on NASCAR Live’s podcast, Suarez felt that while 2024 will be a year of proving his worth to Justin Marks and the team, it will also be a year of great learning for newcomers SVG and Zane Smith. He added, “I think that the more information you can have, the better it’s going to be. I think that Zane will also have a lot of new learning curves.”

The Mexican went on to express that SVG would have to focus on developing his skills at the oval tracks. After all, the Kiwi was used to dominating on road courses instead. On the other hand, competition of this level is a whole new ball game for Zane Smith. So while it will be crucial for the new signings to learn and get up to speed quickly, the responsibility of being ideal mentors will also lie on Chastain and Suarez.

The #99 driver stated, “I think that they are gonna add a lot to the table but they’re also really gonna work on themselves a lot, because they have work to do. Especially Shane in ovals and Zane overall, he’s just getting started. So really, Ross and I, we’re gonna continue to be the ones leading the train here.

With that said, however, Daniel Suarez has yet to match Ross Chastain in terms of Championship-4 appearances. And if we take a look at how Suarez only brought in three top-five finishes last year, that target could be fairly difficult. While the Mexican believes the path ahead of the newcomers is going to be an eventful one, so will his own Cup Series challenge.

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As Daniel Suarez aims to lead the Trackhouse team on track, one of its famous co-owners is all set to deliver a brilliant evening at the Great American Race only a few weeks from now. And it’s not Justin Marks!

Trackhouse co-owner Pitbull will headline the Daytona 500

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Armando Christian Pérez, more commonly known as Pitbull, will deliver a performance for the ages in front of eager fans at Daytona International Speedway on February 18. First, it was a role as the grand marshal in 2021, and now, Pitbull is as excited as ever to take his involvement with the Daytona 500 up a notch.

Pitbull was quoted by Motorsport.com, “It’s an honor to once again be part of the Great American Race, this time performing at the Daytona 500. So, everyone start your engines,” The co-owner of Trackhouse Racing only recently released his album by the name of Trackhouse, and will unveil a Daytona 500 edition during the weekend’s proceedings!

The Speedway’s president, Frank Kelleher, was also enthusiastic about the performance. He shared, “There’s no better way to get the energy flowing than with Pitbull performing our pre-race concert for the Daytona 500. He’ll bring all the South Florida vibes and culture up here to put on quite the show for the 66th running of The Great American Race.”

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As Daniel Suarez aims to take the lead and Pitbull practices for a mega performance, do you think 2024 will be Trackhouse’s year? Or will all the new hype prove to be too much to handle?

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Written by:

Kabir Bajaj Ahmed

650Articles

One take at a time

My journey into the world of motorsports began when I watched the Top Gear Ayrton Senna tribute as a child. I later materialized my passion for motorsport through karting on the side. By the time I completed my undergrad in Journalism, I had extensive karting experience, with a few podium finishes to my name.
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Edited by:

Abhishek Ramesh