As the 2022 NASCAR Playoffs draw closer, Daniel Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro team is showing the consistency and speed it needs to make a deep run.
The Trackhouse Racing team finished ninth on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon marking its third consecutive top-nine finish.
In the last five races, Suárez has scored the sixth most points of any driver.
With just six races remaining until the playoffs begin at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Sept. 4 the crew chief Travis Mack-led team eyes even greater consistency and gaining momentum in the coming weeks.
Two of the next six races are road courses which should favor Suárez whose first career victory came on June 12 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway – the Cup Series most recent road course race.
This Sunday the Cup Series travels to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway where the 2.5-mile, triangular-shaped track will pose a challenge for teams setting up their cars in three distinct corners.
The track hosted its first NASCAR Cup race in August 1974 and has long served northeastern NASCAR fans.
Each turn is modeled after turns at three different tracks. Turn one, with 14 degrees of banking, was modeled after the old Trenton (N.J.) Speedway. Turn two, also known as “The Tunnel Turn,” is like Indianapolis Motor Speedway with its nine degrees of banking. Turn three, with six degrees of banking, is similar to The Milwaukee (Wis.) Mile. At 2.5 miles in length, fuel mileage often plays a role in determining the race winner at Pocono. All of that is part of racetrack’s appeal.
The No. 99 will carry the livery of CommScope this weekend in Pennsylvania.
The USA Network will televise Sunday’s race in Pocono at 3 p.m. EDT.
Playoff Standings
Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 99 CommScope Chevrolet Camaro
What are your thoughts on Pocono?
“It was cool to get the pole there in 2018 and then we finished second in the race that weekend. At Pocono, it always helps to have a good starting spot. Pocono is a track where you can’t make mistakes on the track, and you can’t have mistakes on pit road. Everyone has to do their part to execute perfectly. “
What do you feel is most important to be successful at Pocono?
“Track position is extremely important every weekend, but it’s especially important at Pocono. If you make a mistake, it takes so much longer and is so much harder to recover from. It’s a tough place for sure.”
Are you more confident now after earning that first career victory?
“I don’t think I am more confident, that’s really never wavered. I am relieved we got that victory and how it put us in the playoffs. We just have to keep improving.”
No. 99 Trackhouse Team Roster
Founder: Justin Marks, Rocklin, California
President: Ty Norris, Sumter, South Carolina
Driver: Daniel Suárez, Monterrey Mexico
Crew Chief: Travis Mack, Louisville, Kentucky
Car Chief: Eddie D’Hondt Jr., East Islip, New York
Spotter: Frank Kimmel II, Jeffersonville, Indiana
Engine Builder: ECR Engines, Welcome, North Carolina
Engine Tuner: Jason Watkins, Ridgeway, Virginia
Fueler: Milan Rudanovic, Wantage, New Jersey
Front Tire Changer: Corey Baldwin, Severn, Maryland
Rear Tire Changer: Jerick Newsome, Memphis, Tennessee
Jackman: Josh Appleby, Athens, Alabama
Tire Carrier: Jeremy Kimbrough, Decatur, Georgia
Engineer: Jose R. Blasco-Figueroa, CDMX, Mexico (Mexico City, Mexico)
Engineer: Dustin Zacharyasz, Berea, Ohio
Mechanic: Griffin Rider, Lawson, Missouri
Mechanic: Alex Lacognata, Scarborough, Maine
Mechanic: Tony Barkman, Rio Vista, California
Truck Driver: Glenn Shano, Toronto, Canada
Truck Driver: Ben Prince, Denver, North Carolina
Notes of Interest
Suárez becomes the first driver from Mexico (Monterrey) to win in the NASCAR Cup Series on June 12, 2022 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.
He became the fifth different driver all-time not from the United States to win a NASCAR Cup Series race; joining Marcos Ambrose (Australia), Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Earl Ross (Canada) and Mario Andretti (Italy).
In 2016, Suárez became the first Mexican driver to win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, claiming three victories at Michigan, Dover and the championship finale at Homestead-Miami.
Suárez owns 84 Xfinity Series starts posting three wins, 33 top-five and 55 top-10 finishes.
Suárez owns 28 Camping World Truck Series starts posting a win (Phoenix, Nov. 11, 2016) 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.
In the Cup Series, Suárez owns two poles (Pocono, July 16, 2018), (Kentucky, July 12, 2019.)
Trackhouse founder Justin Marks competed in six Cup Series races with a best finish of 12th-place in the 2018 Daytona 500. He made 35 starts in the Xfinity Series posting a win, three top-five and seven top-10s. He won the Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Aug. 13, 2016 driving for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Marks competed in 39 races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series posting four top-10s and capturing two pole awards. He started eighth and finished 31st at Mid-Ohio on July 9, 2022.
He joined four co-drivers in winning the 2009 Rolex 24 in the GT division.
Before turning a wheel in 2021, Trackhouse Racing became one of the more popular teams in NASCAR when it announced GRAMMY® Award-winning global superstar Pitbull had become a partner. Not only is he an active partner on the Trackhouse executive team, but Pitbull also serves as a brand and philanthropic ambassador.
The Trackhouse team won the 2021 NASCAR Diversity Team Award.
Marks won the 2022 “Byrnsie Award” from Fox.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
