NASCAR: Who faces more pressure in 2019, Martin Truex Jr. or Daniel Suarez?
By Dustin Smith
NASCAR Cup Series drivers Martin Truex Jr. and Daniel Suarez will be with new teams in 2019, but which driver has more pressure on him to succeed?
With the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season right around the corner, news recently broke of Stewart-Haas Racing signing Daniel Suarez to fill their last remaining seat in their four-car garage.
Suarez spent two seasons driving full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing without finding victory lane and only managing four top five finishes. In November, Joe Gibbs Racing confirmed that he would be replaced by Martin Truex Jr. for the 2019 season.
On one hand, changing teams seems to be a strong shot in the arm for drivers and we have seen what are essentially “rebirths” of drivers’ careers after they change teams. Joey Logano comes to mind when thinking of how a team change can positively affect a driver’s performance.
From the 2009 season to the 2012 season, Logano drove for Joe Gibbs Racing before he was signed with Team Penske. This move paid off for the newly crowned Cup Series champion.
There are expectations in NASCAR and Suarez has yet to perform up to those expectations, which is why Joe Gibbs Racing are moving on from him. When the question comes up regarding who has more pressure to succeed in 2019, Suarez or Truex Jr., the answer isn’t as easy as you may think.
Making the case for both drivers
Why Daniel Suarez has more pressure on him in 2019 than Martin Truex Jr.
The answer to this one is pretty simple. Suarez has driven in the Cup Series for two full seasons and barely has anything to show for it. Registering just four top five finishes and 21 top 10 finishes with zero wins speaks for itself.
Suarez will join Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola at Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2019 season with a lot to prove. Fortunately for Suarez, Almirola just joined the team last season and had a career year. Hopefully Suarez can have his best season in 2019 as well or his Cup Series days may be numbered.
Why Martin Truex Jr. has more pressure on him in 2019 than Daniel Suarez
More from NASCAR Cup Series
- NASCAR Cup Series: New team set to compete in 2024
- NASCAR: Surprising name continuously linked to new seat
- NASCAR driver at risk of missing the Daytona 500?
- NASCAR set for rare appearance last seen 13 years ago
- NASCAR team adds third car, names driver for 2024 Daytona 500
As one of the “Big Three” in 2018, Truex Jr. is expected by many people to be one of the “Big Three” in 2019 as well. The 2017 Cup Series champion is coming off of a four-win season, and the expectations for him in his first season driving for Joe Gibbs Racing are to be toward the top of the championship standings and to be one of the favorites to win the championship.
But what if he fails? What if he struggles to find a groove at Joe Gibbs Racing? At least with Suarez, there is plenty of room to grow and show signs of improvement. If Truex Jr. shows any signs of decline, many people may point to his success only stemming from the equipment he had at Furniture Row Racing.
And the winner of most pressure to perform in 2019 is…
The answer has to be Daniel Suarez. If Martin Truex Jr. falters, he will still have the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series trophy in his back pocket along with 19 career wins. Suarez, on the other hand, cannot have a bad year with Stewart-Haas Racing. Any sign of weakness for Suarez will immediately get the trolls of social media fired up and demanding he be replaced.
Truex Jr. can have a bad season and keep his job. If Suarez has a bad season, he may once again be looking for a ride late into the offseason when his contract expires. The best thing for him to do is win, or at the very least, have a strong showing in the Daytona 500 to prove he belongs. From there, he can ride the momentum to the playoffs, something I believe he is capable of doing in 2019.
dark. Next. Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time
With both Martin Truex Jr. and Daniel Suarez joining new teams, who do you feel is the driver with more pressure on him in the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season? Will Truex Jr. have more pressure on him because he has already proven what he can do, or will Suarez have more pressure on him because he has way more to prove? Is there another driver who you feel has even more pressure on him that Truex Jr. and Suarez?