Daniel Suarez’s contract with Trackhouse Racing is up for renewal. But despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, the Monterrey-native’s superstardom was there for all to see in Mexico City. Even though the pressure was weighing on his shoulders, the 33-year-old handled it all effortlessly, pulling off a miraculous result at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. He became the first and only driver to go from rock-bottom to first on a road course in NASCAR history. That’s quite a stat, isn’t it?

It was quite an emotional victory for the Mexican, and fans joined in the party as well. The grandstand was full of loyal admirers, cheering, some saluting, and a few even shedding some tears. His struggles in the Cup Series seemed forgotten. Suarez was in his home turf, in front of fans who adored him, representing the sport that hadn’t crossed south of the border since 2008.

Daniel Suarez represented NASCAR on home turf

The weekend didn’t begin as planned for Daniel Suarez. He crashed during practice, forcing JR Motorsports to create a backup car just hours before the race began. Dale Jr’s team didn’t even have the time to wrap the car in its original Quaker State paint scheme. But it didn’t matter, as the No. 9 Chevy raced to Victory Lane from rock bottom, and the racer secured his fourth win in NASCAR’s second tier. It was a big win, not just because of the circumstances, but the expectations placed on the Monterrey native at the 2025 Chilango 150.

YouTuber Eric Estepp was full of praise for Daniel Suarez. In his latest video, he said, “I want to give Daniel Suarez a round of applause for handling the pressure of being the face of the sport. This weekend, Daniel Suarez was the name, the face, of American motorsports in his home country. You thought that crowd around Todd Gilliland was huge? Daniel Suarez dealt with triple, quadruple that, just about everywhere he went this weekend. And he handled it all with grace as far as I could tell, winning the Xfinity Series race after the disappointing qualifying.”

While his Cup result didn’t match the expectations, it didn’t matter. The win in the Xfinity Series was enough of a statement, overshadowing his 19th-place finish at the Viva Mexico 250. And it might just help him secure an extension with Trackhouse Racing as well. As things stand, the team has four drivers under contract with three Cup Series seats. Only Ross Chastain has a deal through 2027, which means others are fighting for their future at the ambitious team.

And Daniel Suarez’s struggles are well documented. With just one top-five finish to his name, the 2025 campaign has fallen short of expectations. He made the playoffs last year, but that prospect is looking increasingly unlikely with each passing week. The 33-year-old is 28th, with an average finish of 21. But if there’s one thing we learned from the weekend in Mexico, it showed his popularity in full display. And the one-off Xfinity Series triumph might just be enough for Trackhouse to take a gamble on Suarez once again.

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NASCAR insider opens up about Suarez’s future

Competing in the Cup Series isn’t easy. The competition is cutthroat, and the stakes are high. And when a generational talent like Connor Zilisch is waiting for his opportunity on the sidelines, the pressure is even higher. Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain are already in the playoffs, which leaves Daniel Suarez the odd man out. Is Justin Marks just biding his time until Zilisch is ready to jump to the highest level? It certainly feels like it.

That sentiment was shared by The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi as well, who said, “It was always going to be that way. Unfortunately, I guess you’re saving grace in this is if Trackhouse decided that Connor Zilisch needs another year of Xfinity Series racing full-time. If Connor stays in the Xfinity Series full-time, Trackhouse has an opening on the Cup side, and presumably Daniel would stay in that ride.”

But Daniel Suarez shouldn’t be too unfazed if he drops down to the Xfinity Series. After all, he did win the race in Mexico, and a stint in NASCAR’s second tier might do wonders for his confidence. It might even help him secure a better ride for 2027. Zilisch’s progression to the Cup is inevitable; the question is when. There are some tough decisions to be made in the coming months, but right now, Suarez will be enjoying his thrilling win ahead of the race in Pocono.