NASCAR: Daniel Suarez out at Gaunt Brothers Racing after 2020
By Asher Fair
Daniel Suarez will not return to Gaunt Brothers Racing for what would have been a second year in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.
For the third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series season, Daniel Suarez is in his final year with a team. He confirmed on Tuesday that he will not be back for what would have been a second year with Gaunt Brothers Racing behind the wheel of the #96 Toyota in 2021.
Suarez signed a one-year deal with the team ahead of the 2020 season after being dropped by Stewart-Haas Racing in favor of rookie Cole Custer after the 2019 campaign, his first and only season driving the #41 Ford as the replacement for Kurt Busch.
The 28-year-old Mexican spent the first two seasons of his Cup Series career competing for Joe Gibbs Racing behind the wheel of the #19 Toyota after Carl Edwards unexpectedly retired following he 2016 season.
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Suarez, who won the 2016 Xfinity Series championship for the team, was replaced by Martin Truex Jr. after the 2018 season.
Through the first 28 races of the 2020 season, Suarez has competed in 27 events, as he failed to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway back in February.
His best finishes of the year are his 18th place finishes in the May race at Bristol Motor Speedway and the July race at Kansas Speedway. His average finish is 26.1, and he sits in 31st in the championship standings.
Here is what Suarez had to say about the matter in a statement.
"“I’m extremely thankful to my entire Toyota family for everything they have done for me, especially this year. I will always be grateful to them for having my back. Marty and everyone at Gaunt Brothers Racing invest a lot of time and effort into this race team and I’m proud to have been a part of it. I have given 100 percent of myself to this team since day one, and I will continue to give 100 percent until the last lap at Phoenix. My goal has always been to win races and championships, and that will never change.”"
He shared this message on Twitter.
A message to my amigos#SuarezNation #DanielsAmigos pic.twitter.com/G6HK8bWNcl
— Daniel Suárez (@Daniel_SuarezG) September 15, 2020
He also shared it in Spanish.
Un mensaje para mis amigos pic.twitter.com/AyLFpw4f27
— Daniel Suárez (@Daniel_SuarezG) September 15, 2020
Here is what Gaunt Brothers Racing president and CEO Marty Gaunt had to add.
"“The entire team is very appreciative of the effort Daniel has put forth. He has helped build the foundation we need for next season as well as 2022 when the NextGen car arrives. We’re both committed to earning as many points as possible in these last eight races together and finishing the season strong.”"
In 135 career Cup Series starts, Suarez has recorded eight top five finishes and 22 top 10 finishes. He finished in a career-high second place at Pocono Raceway for Joe Gibbs Racing in July of 2018, and he finished in a career-high 17th in the championship standings in his lone season for Stewart-Haas Racing last year.
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Suarez has not yet announced where he will compete in the 2021 season, and Gaunt Brothers Racing have not yet named his replacement for next year. He has been linked to Richard Petty Motorsports as the replacement for Bubba Wallace behind the wheel of the #43 Chevrolet, with Wallace having announced that he won’t be back with the team next year.