Another ‘Big One’ took place at the 2025 Ambetter Health 400. With the competition getting more and more fierce at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a multi-car wreck seemed inevitable as the race inches closer toward the end. That’s exactly what happened on Lap 184 when Daniel Suárez lost control of his No. 99 Chevy after Ty Gibbs made minor contact with the left rear of the Mexican’s car. What followed was complete chaos as the incident involved seven drivers.

With the stakes higher than ever, the going got rough at the 1.5-mile oval. The incident with Suárez brought about a seventh caution of the race and resulted in an early retirement for the Trackhouse Racing star.

Daniel Suarez hopes to do better after early retirement

Daniel Suárez was forced to lift coming off of Turn 4, which resulted in Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota making slight contact with the left rear of the Mexican’s car. As a result, the Trackhouse Racing driver hit the outside wall before sliding across the racetrack, into the incoming traffic. Apart from the two drivers, the multi-car wreck also included the likes of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Noah Gragson, Cody Ware, Cole Custer, and J.J Yeley, resulting in debris flying across the track and a tattered No. 99 Chevy helplessly sliding around.

The incident forced Daniel Suárez to retire early, and the Mexican racer was heard saying on the team radio, “Sorry, guys. I was just waiting to slide up there” according to The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck. In the post-race interview, the Trackhouse Racing star went on to say, “I think that’s on me and my spotter, we have to do a better job in those situations. Overall, we just put ourselves in bad situations throughout the race. The car wasn’t handling the way I was hoping. We’ll have to see what we can do better next time.”

After finishing 13th at the season-opening Daytona 500, Suárez was hoping to build on that performance by defending his title at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 33-year-old famously won the 2024 Ambetter Health 400 last year after finishing 0.003 seconds ahead of second-place Ryan Blaney at the 1.5-mile oval. However, his weekend didn’t get off on the best note as the driver qualified for the race in 29th place and failed to break into the top 10 of either of the two stages. Even though he deserved better than an early retirement, it’s an outcome the Mexican driver needs to come to terms with.

Daniel Suárez knows exactly what went wrong for the No. 99 Chevy team at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Reflecting on his race, the driver candidly said, “We were not fast enough.” He went on to say, “Normally our speed is good and our handling is great, that’s how we have been successful here. Today, that just wasn’t the case.” The 33-year-old will work alongside his crew in the Trackhouse Racing shop to ensure tweaks and adjustments are made to his car so that the vehicle performs better going into the Circuit of The Americas.

Suárez shares his thoughts on Pitbull’s exit from the team

Trackhouse Racing seems to be a team in transition. Before the 2025 Daytona 500, hip-hop star Pitbull announced his intention to quit the team as co-owner with immediate effect. The musician. ‘Mr. Worldwide’ had been an important part of the team since 2021 and the decision came as a shock for many in the NASCAR community, not only because it was unexpected but also the timing of the announcement.

Daniel Suárez, who has known the rapper for nearly a decade and has a relationship with Pitbull beyond the racetrack shared his thoughts on the recent development by saying, “Obviously, Trackhouse has changed a lot. We have grown a lot. With new investors coming into the sport, into Trackhouse, things changed. Unfortunately, Justin [Marks] didn’t align anymore. But Pitbull was fundamental for the quick growth of Trackhouse.” He went on to say, “I continue to see Pitbull as a role model, a good friend, and a guy that I can call right now if I need advice. So, that, for me, is the most important part.”

Daniel Suárez has his job cut out for him. Trackhouse Racing has expanded its Cup Series operations by taking on Shane van Gisbergen as the third driver, which means the Mexican needs to step up his performance to ensure he isn’t the worst performer on the team. The Mexican signed a one-year contract ahead of the 2025 season and he is racing for his future. After making the playoffs last year, will the 33-year-old improve his performance this time around? Time will tell.