NASCAR: Daniel Suarez confirmed at Gaunt Brothers Racing for 2020
By Asher Fair
After several weeks of speculation, Daniel Suarez has officially signed with Gaunt Brothers Racing for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.
After having been rumored to land a ride with Gaunt Brothers Racing several weeks ago, Daniel Suarez has officially signed with the team to drive the #96 Toyota throughout the entirety of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.
The #96 Toyota is the 37th confirmed full-time entry for the 36-race season and the first without a charter, so they will not be guaranteed a starting spot in any race throughout the season. Suarez, meanwhile, is the 35th confirmed full-time driver.
The 28-year-old Mexican is slated to enter his fourth season of Cup Series competition. He replaced Carl Edwards and competed for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2017 and 2018 seasons before being replaced by Martin Truex Jr. behind the wheel of the #19 Toyota.
He then replaced Kurt Busch and competed for Stewart-Haas Racing in the 2019 season before being replaced by rookie Cole Custer behind the wheel of the #41 Ford.
Here is what Suarez had to say about the opportunity to compete full-time for Gaunt Brothers Racing in the 2020 season, according to NASCAR.
"“It’s great to be back with Toyota and back in the NASCAR Cup Series. My NASCAR career started off really well and Toyota was a very big part of that. To have them in my corner again gives me a lot of confidence. Gaunt Brothers Racing has something to prove and so do I. We’re committed to each other and we’re going to build each other up.”"
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Dave Winston is slated to serve as Suarez’s crew chief, and Suarez is set to continue his partnerships with Coca-Cola and CommScope, which have both been with him for the last several years going back to his days competing for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series.
In 108 career starts, Suarez has recorded 32 top 10 finishes, including eight top five finishes, along with two pole positions. He finished in a career-high second place in the July race at Pocono Raceway in the 2018 season, the first race for which he started from the pole position. He also took the pole position for the July race at Kentucky Speedway in the 2019 season.
Gaunt Brothers Racing have never previously competed full-time in the Cup Series. They have competed in the series since 2017, and they have made 38 starts since then. Their best finish is D.J. Kennington’s 13th place finish in the July race at Daytona International Speedway in the 2018 season.
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The 62nd annual Daytona 500 is scheduled to get the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season underway on Sunday, February 16. The race is set to be broadcast live on Fox from Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.
The single-car qualifying session for the race is set to be broadcast live on Fox beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 9, and the Bluegreen Vacations Duels to set the starting lineup are set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 13.