“We’ve Been an Okay Team” – Daniel Suarez Has Not Lost Sight of Reality After an Enthralling Winning Weekend

Trackhouse Racing sensation, Daniel Suarez on Sunday showed the whole world what he is capable of, that he can dish off a spectacular run on the very last lap to edge out two Cup Series champions. While the 2016 Xfinity Series champion racked up the second win of his Cup Series career and secured a playoff berth for the second time, the Mexican is not satisfied by any means.

“I’m not, you know, I’m, I’m not, I’m not here to be the guy that, oh, he’s winning one race. You know, when we win, we make a big party. That’s not the goal,” said Suarez to NASCAR’s most popular veteran Dale Earnhardt Jr after his iconic three-way photo finish at Atlanta. 

Speaking on the Dale Jr Download, the 32-year-old is as focused as he can be, still not losing it after the stellar win, and looks to rack up even more to get to the zenith – the Cup Series championship.

Atlanta conqueror Daniel Suarez opens up about his “goals” to Dale Earnhardt Jr

Driven by the desire to lift the championship trophy, the driver, following his first win of the season, said, “This is not relaxing here. This is only the beginning. We have to continue to work, continue to build.” Determined and focused on his goal, Suarez is putting money where his mouth is, redeeming himself from the dismal last season in NASCAR’s premier series.

As a success story in NASCAR’s diversity program, Suarez was one of those talents who shot up into the limelight after his Xfinity Series triumph in 2016. However, he just couldn’t repeat the same level of success that he had in the second-tier division in the elite Cup Series faction once he was tasked with the opportunity in 2017 at Joe Gibbs Racing until he joined Trackhouse Racing in 2021.

It was here at Trackhouse Racing, where the driver racked up his first win at the Sonoma road course. Even though the driver managed to open his Cup Series account at the Chevy camp, he lacked consistency and this was pretty much evident in 2023 when he went out without making it to the playoffs. Now it seems like that is in the past as Suarez reveals that the playoffs are not his end goal but the championship is.

He said, “It is definitely nice to get the first win this early in the season. With that being said, honestly, I have not thought on playoffs in the last three days… Because the way I’m thinking on this is, and I mentioned this to Swid(Matt Swiderski), my new crew chief… And I mentioned to the entire team. I say, Hey guys, I feel that I’ve been an okay driver, a good driver. We’ve been an okay team. you know, we have a spike, we got a full position, we win one race a year, things like that. And, you know, some people may be happy with that.” 

“For me, that’s not the goal because I know that to be able to continue for a championship, you have to win between three to five races. That’s what you have to do. If you can win between three to five races, you can actually have a real shot for the championship. You have points, you have confidence, you have momentum, you have a lot of things,” he added. 

“I’m not okay being a good driver…”: Suarez

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The burning desire to be the best is what makes athletes elite, transcending the sport to become the icon in their field. Speaking on the popular Dale Jr Download podcast, joining the veteran Dale Jr was Daniel Suarez, the Atlanta victor who gave the community a thrilling photo finish to lock into the playoffs by beating Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney to the punch.

Opening up to Junior, the Mexican revealed his true goal – his desire not to be an average driver but to be a great one. He said, “I’m not okay being a, a good driver. I want to be a great driver and I want to be in that next step. Or those group of drivers like William Byron, Kyle Larson, all these guys that when they win, nobody’s surprised they’re expecting it. That’s my goal, you know, that’s my goal.” 

“I’ve been working very hard on this, but it’s not easy, man. Yeah, it’s not easy because as you know, in the cop series, every single driver is talented. Every single driver is gifted,” said the driver stating the obvious fact of being in a series full of world-class drivers. 

READ MORE: 2024 Ambetter 400: Daniel Suarez Locks in Career Second Playoff Spot at Atlanta as Kyle Busch Goes Winless Again

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