The Wide World of Dirt

Daniel Suarez entered the 2020 season with an uncertain future after being cut loose after one season at Stewart-Haas Racing.

The Monterrey native came into January without a solid deal in place for the second year in a row, and without any premiere rides available, his options looked to be between slim and none.

Fortunately for Daniel, he signed a contract in January with Gaunt Brothers Racing to run the full 36-race schedule for 2020 with some support from Toyota Racing Development.

While Gaunt Bros had never run any more than 24 races in a season before 2020, hopes were high with Commscope (formerly Arris) and TRD backing the team.

What ensued dashed those hopes rather quickly. Due to a miscommunication, Suarez and Ryan Blaney tangled during the Daytona Duels, which ultimately left Daniel and GBR out of the show.

As the season progressed, things didn’t get much better. Through 28 races, Suarez has managed to score three top-20 finishes and leading some laps during a long green run at Daytona during the Firecracker 400.

Outside of that, there hasn’t been much to write home about, and the frustrations of not being competitive got to Suarez, resulting in him seeking out other opportunities for the 2021 season.

1: Richard Petty Motorsports

If I had to choose the most likely scenario for Daniel, it would be landing in the King’s seat for 2021. Team owner Andrew Murstein stated in an interview recently that he strives for diversity, and Daniel’s name appeared on the shortlist of drivers he might want to bring into the fold.

With hand-me-down RCR equipment, the journey won’t be easy, but there have been rumblings that Brandon Jones, a fifth-year Xfinity driver, might want to move up to Cup next season.

Though there are no open seats at JGR, Jones could slide into a second RPM entry in 2021, due to the fact that RPM owns a second charter that they aren’t using.

Jones spent his first few Xfinity years with RCR, but I don’t think TRD will want to let him go. With the dissolution of Leavine Family Racing, I believe TRD jumps at the opportunity to bring on another Toyota team.

With better equipment and more team funding from Commscope and Rheem, Suarez and Jones could feasibly make RPM competitive for top-10s before midseason of 2021 as long as Jones keeps his car out of harm’s way.

2: Richard Childress Racing

The resurgence RCR has experienced so far this season is nothing short of remarkable. After a dismal 2019 effort with Austin Dillon and Daniel Hemric, the team bounced back in a big way with back-to-back Xfinity champion Tyler Reddick replacing Hemric in Childress’ second entry.

Rumors circulated recently that, before the Gaunt Bros deal was finalized, Suarez was putting together a deal to be in a third RCR car for 2020, which ultimately fell through.

Suarez clearly possesses the talent to win races, which he showed when he won the Xfinity title in 2016. RCR found speed this year, and adding a third car with a driver that won’t wad up equipment can only build upon that speed.

The only problem is that this would put Daniel in his third manufacturer in three years and his fourth team in four years. He needs commitment from Pop Pop in the form of at least a two-year deal with a crew chief he trusts.

If RCR gives Daniel consistency, Daniel will return the favor with good performances, and I believe he and the other two NXS champs he would share a team with would gel together well.

3: Return to the Xfinity Series

Based on an article written for Frontstretch, Suarez mentioned he has offers to drive for some top teams in the Xfinity Series, and while that is certainly a downgrade from racing in Cup, it might be his best and most competitive option.

The whirlwind that has been Daniel Suarez’s career started because of Joe Gibbs Racing moving him up too soon after the abrupt retirement of Carl Edwards in January 2017.

Suarez, hot off the heels of an Xfinity title two months earlier, prepared to defend his title in that series before being whisked away into the Cup spotlight in a car that probably would have won the title the year before had it not been for this “caution”.

Through two years of immense crew chief changes and plain terrible management by his race team, Suarez found himself without a ride for 2019 before catching on with Stewart-Haas in January.

After finishing just four points outside of the playoffs, Suarez’s fate was sealed as he was given the boot again after a solid season with a team that, outside of its best driver, was mediocre.

It would be a punch in the gut to have to drop back down, but this could be a way for Suarez to rebuild his confidence and compete regularly again.

This option could renew interest in his Cup potential, but it could also relegate him to being an Xfinity lifer like Justin Allgaier (not a bad gig if you can get it in my opinion.)

The main point here is that this would put him in competitive equipment right away, which is what he wants ultimately. He still has to get Commscope to agree to do that, and that might be a tough sell.

I can’t imagine Commscope likes running 26th every week and getting no TV time outside of getting lapped. I think this is the option that could potentially help Daniel’s career the most as everything currently stands.

Final Thoughts

Daniel Suarez has been on the receiving end of a number of raw deals throughout his Cup career, and this lost year with the Gaunt Bros is no different.

The man averaged an eighth-place finish for an entire Xfinity season on his way to a title in what was effectively the second or even third JGR car in that series. He has the talent.

Suarez also provides the sport with an electric personality that it desperately needs right now, and it would be actually awful if he was left to just walk away from the sport at such a young age.

Give Daniel Suarez some time and consistency, and I promise you: he will deliver.