On Tuesday, NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez announced that he won’t return to Trackhouse Racing for the 2026 NASCAR season. Here are three potential landing spots for Suarez as he looks to further his NASCAR career.
No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, NASCAR Xfinity Series
With Connor Zilisch being the likely candidate to take over Suarez’s Cup Series seat at Trackhouse, Zilisch’s Xfinity Series ride with JR Motorsports will likely be vacant in 2026. Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass reported that several drivers are “angling” for the No. 88 seat, and should a Cup Series opportunity not come to fruition for Suarez, taking over a top-tier Xfinity Series ride wouldn’t be a bad option for the 2016 Xfinity Series champion.
Suarez did win for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on June 14. Following that win, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. praised Suarez’s effort. Racing in the Cup Series is always the goal for any driver, but driving the best cars in the Xfinity Series isn’t a bad backup plan at all.
Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, NASCAR Cup Series
According to Pockrass, Kaulig 2026 Cup Series lineup is close to being solidified, but Ty Dillon doesn’t officially have a deal done. Should Dillon and AJ Allmendinger return to Kaulig in a full-time capacity, Suarez could stay in the Chevrolet camp and pilot a third full-time Kaulig Cup Series entry. The team has run a third car in select races in the past, and even if Suarez can’t nail down a full-time ride, a part-time Cup Series opportunity with Kaulig would be better than not making any Cup Series starts at all.
Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, NASCAR Xfinity Series
Should neither of the aforementioned options work out for Suarez, driving for Kaulig’s Xfinity Series program would be another way for him to stick with Chevrolet and drive for one of the best programs in the Xfinity Series. Daniel Dye and Josh Williams aren’t confirmed to be returning to Kaulig for the 2026 Xfinity Series season, but even if all three Kaulig drivers – Dye, Williams and Christian Eckes, who signed a multi-year contract in 2024 – do return to the organization, a fourth car could be utilized for Suarez on either a part-time or full-time basis, as Dye drove 10 races in a fourth Kaulig Xfinity Series entry in 2024.
