Daniel Suarez won’t return to Trackhouse Racing next season, making him the most notable free agent looking for a 2026 ride.
Suarez and the team made the announcement Tuesday afternoon. There was no announcement of a replacement, but Trackhouse development driver Connor Zilisch is expected to replace Suarez. Zilisch is fifth in the Xfinity Series standings with two victories driving for JR Motorsports.
“Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction,” Suarez said in a social media post.
[Related: 2025 NASCAR preseason prospect rankings: Where does Connor Zilisch land?]
The 33-year-old Suarez sits 29th in the series standings. The only Mexican-born driver to win a Cup race and the only one to win a national series title (2016 Xfinity Series), Suarez has two career victories in 305 Cup starts.
The original driver for Trackhouse Racing in 2021, Suarez’s five-year tenure with the organization has been the longest of his Cup career. He spent two years at Joe Gibbs Racing, one year at Stewart-Haas Racing and one year at Gaunt Brothers Racing before being signed by Trackhouse.
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It was with Trackhouse where he earned his two wins, one at Sonoma in 2022 and then another in Atlanta in 2024.
“The role Daniel has played in the Trackhouse origin story and its first five years will remain a valued part of the company’s history forever,” team owner Justin Marks said in a statement. “His commitment, work ethic and dedication to the effort is one of the most impressive things I personally have seen in my career.”
Daniel Suarez celebrates after winning the Xfinity Series race in Mexico this season.
Where will Suarez land for next season is now the big question. Few organizations appear to have openings on their rosters for 2026.
Legacy Motor Club wants to expand to three cars for next year but is embroiled in a legal battle with Rick Ware Racing over a contract to purchase one of the RWR charters. RWR contends the $45 million deal was supposed to be for a purchase after the 2026 season, while Legacy contends it was for after the 2025 season. Amid the litigation, former Spire co-owner TJ Puchyr has said he will purchase RWR after this season and wants to operate both of the RWR charters after 2026 (one of the charters is under contract to be leased to RFK Racing for 2025).
If Legacy does expand, Suarez would be a top candidate as he still has a strong relationship with Toyota. Suarez has 23 top-5s and 71 top-10s in his Cup career. He has made the playoffs twice with his best finish 10th in the standings in 2022.
If there are no good Cup rides available, Suarez possibly could go to JR Motorsports — he won an Xfinity race for the organization this year at Mexico — or another strong organization in Xfinity or trucks.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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