Carl Edwards’ sudden retirement from NASCAR Cup Series racing came as a huge shocker to everyone in the racing community in 2014. At the time, he was only 38 and still in his prime years. However, his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing proved to be a huge stepping stone for the then-young and upcoming driver, Daniel Suarez.

At the time, Suarez had clinched his maiden Xfinity Series championship with JGR and was looking to spend another year in the Series. However, with Edwards calling it quits from Cup racing, he was dramatically roped in as his successor in the #19 JGR car.

Although Edwards decided to stay disconnected from racing, he did help the rookie driver in his initial days of racing in the Cup Series. In a recent interview, Suarez shared his equation with the Hall of Famer and also echoed the sentiment of the entire community – to see him back in action inside a Cup car.

Daniel Suarez had all the help he needed switching from Xfinity to Cup Racing

Daniel Suarez had virtually hit the lottery by finding himself in the seat of a #19 Joe Gibbs Racing car. He had the backing of crew chief Dave Rogers, who guided Edwards’ team in 2015, along with a pit crew that was considered one of the best among all the teams. He even leaned on then-JGR star, Kyle Busch, who ended up being frustrated with constant calls from the Mexican driver.

Speaking in an interview, the Trackhouse Racing driver shed light on how helpful Edwards was during his initial days. “Carl is a special individual. I like Carl a lot … Once I went to Cup, Carl Edwards was the guy that was helping me a lot. Obviously, he was already a little disconnected. He was kind of slowly going his way, and he was still helping me just to get rolling. Carl’s an amazing guy. He definitely deserves to be the part of Hall of Fame, and honestly, I wish he comes back to race once in a while.”

Suarez further added how the 2-time NASCAR Cup Series champion guided him through his journey in the Trucks and Xfinity Series, “I will say that Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards were the two drivers that really gave me a hand when I was coming up. When I was in the truck series and Xfinity Series, it was Kyle Busch. He helped me a lot.”

Taking a stroll down memory lane, Daniel Suarez also spoke about his time at Stewart-Haas Racing. He said that he felt sad after hearing the news about their departure from NASCAR.

Suarez is in talks with SHR team members who are looking for opportunities

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After a two-year stint with Joe Gibbs Racing and being unable to make the playoffs, Suarez landed himself at SHR, making a transition from Toyota to the Ford camp. However, a similar story unfolded for him in his new team, driving the #41 car. Despite raking in ten top-10 results, the Mexican driver failed to make the knockout rounds for the third season in a row. This ultimately saw him take the exit door the very next season and join Gaunt Brothers Racing.

However, despite that, Suarez has no hard feelings against SHR. Rather, he is trying to help his former team members find new opportunities. “It’s always a little bit sad when you see a big organization go down that quickly … I have gotten to know many, many people, and I have received a lot of calls and texts from people or friends at Stewart-Haas that are looking for opportunities, and I feel like my position is to try to help as much as I can,” he said this in an interview with Bob Pockrass via FOX Sports.

Daniel Suarez will be in action this weekend at Sonoma Raceway and will be hoping to repeat his winning heroics from his first career win back in 2022. His spot in the playoffs is virtually secured, thanks to his win at Atlanta. But the #99 team is looking to turn a corner for good after a streak of mediocre performances in recent weeks.