The first major 2026 silly season domino has officially fallen for the NASCAR Cup Series, as it was announced Tuesday that veteran driver Daniel Suarez won't be returning to Trackhouse Racing.
The expectation is that that 19-year-old phenom Connor Zilisch, who currently drives for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, will be replacing him. Meanwhile, Suarez, who has been with Justin Marks' team since 2021, will be looking for a new home.
With that in mind, here are four potential destinations that would be ideal for the Monterrey, Mexico native.
Kaulig Racing
From a culture standpoint, the best fit for Suarez easily seems like Kaulig Racing. This is a team that loves itself some drivers who excel on the road courses, and that's exactly where the Mexican-American competitor earned his first career Cup Series win at Sonoma Raceway in 2022.
Kaulig Racing have yet to announce if either A.J. Allmendinger or Ty Dillon will return in 2026, but the team can certainly aim higher than the latter, who currently sits 31st in points and has minimal upside.
Legacy Motor Club
Rumors have been swirling for a while that the team owned by seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is looking to pursue a third charter for 2026, and given the organization's improvement this season, it wouldn't be a bad move.
Xfinity Series driver Jesse Love appears to be a strong candidate for the team should a ride open up, but an established Cup veteran in Suarez becoming available could change that. He would give Legacy Motor Club a quality trio of capable Cup drivers, joining Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek.
Spire Motorsports
Arguably no team in NASCAR has seen more improvement in recent years than Spire Motorsports. Second-year driver Carson Hocevar has the organization on the precipice of being a weekly contender, while Michael McDowell gives them a chance to make noise on the road courses.
Justin Haley has been underwhelming, however, and the No. 7 Chevrolet could become available this offseason as a result. If so, Suarez should be considered an option.
JR Motorsports
This would be the last-ditch option for Suarez, who would presumably prefer to stay in the Cup Series if he can. If not, though, perhaps a simple swap with Zilisch could be in store. The 2016 Xfinity Series champion has more than proven he can win at NASCAR's secondary level, and JR Motorsports has throughout its history been known to give opportunities to drivers such as Justin Allgaier, Regan Smith, and Elliott Sadler to reinvent themselves after falling out of Cup.
Suarez, who drove (and won) for JR Motorsports in a one-off effort in Mexico City last month, could be next in line.