NASCAR Cup Series: Power rankings entering the 2021 season
By Asher Fair
2021 NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings: #30 and #29
#30. . No. 7. Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet. COREY LAJOIE
Corey LaJoie is once again set to drive for a lesser funded team, which has been the story of his NASCAR Cup Series career thus far. After making the decision to leave Go Fas Racing, he landed this ride with Spire Motorsports to become their first full-time driver in three seasons of competition, giving him yet another opportunity to prove what he is capable of doing in equipment that doesn’t match up with that of the sport’s top teams. But given the fact that Spire Motorsports have partnerships with both Hendrick Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing, he may be more competitive than many expect in what should be the team’s best year yet.
#29. . No. 99. Trackhouse Racing Team, Chevrolet. DANIEL SUAREZ
Yet another team change sees Daniel Suarez set to drive for the new team owned by Justin Marks and Pitbull, Trackhouse Racing Team, in the 2021 season, marking his fourth different team in the last four years. While they likely won’t be as competitive as two of the other three teams he has drive for in this span, Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing, and he failed to win and make the playoffs in a combined three seasons with those two powerhouse organizations, this should still be a step forward for him from Gaunt Brothers Racing. He finished in the top 20 just three times in 2020 with no finishes inside the top 17, and he failed to qualify for the Daytona 500. The #99 Chevrolet is a chartered entry, so he is guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup in the “Great American Race”.