The off-contract Suarez has faced mounting pressure and the imminent threat of up-and-comer Connor Zilisch, who is contracted to Trackhouse Racing.

Now, the team has confirmed Suarez will leave at the end of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

“Trackhouse and I have mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the 2025 season,” said Suarez.

“I’ve had some of the best years of my Cup Series career at Trackhouse.

“We had great successes as a team and I gained some incredible friends.

“We took a team nobody had even heard of in 2021 and in just a couple of years we were winning races and running upfront on a weekly basis.

“Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have agreed to each go in our own direction.

“I wish Trackhouse nothing but the best, this 99 team will always be special to me. And like I always say, The best is ahead.”

Suarez has been a staple of Trackhouse Racing alongside Ross Chastain since it took over the Chip Ganassi Racing operation.

The popular Mexican driver won the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing before making his Cup Series debut with the same team a year later.

He spent two years at the Toyota team before joining Ford outfit Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019. That was followed by a one-year stint at Gaunt Brothers Racing before his longest spell with Trackhouse, which began in 2021.

In his five years with Trackhouse Racing, Suarez scored his first Cup Series win at Sonoma. That came in 2022 before his more recent win at Atlanta in 2024.

“The role Daniel has played in the Trackhouse origin story and its first five years will remain a valued part of the company’s history forever,” said Trackhouse Racing CEO Justin Marks.

“His commitment, work ethic and dedication to the effort is one of the most impressive things I personally have seen in my career.

“We will forever be thankful and honoured that Daniel chose to spend many incredible years with us.

“We are proud of his wins, his successes, the growth of his brand, and his emergence as a valuable athlete in America’s greatest motorsport. But, most of all, I’m proud of him as a friend.

“I’m truly excited to see what awaits him in the next chapter of his amazing career. We are grateful for the professionalism, effort and heart he’s brought to our organisation.”

Although there was some speculation that Shane van Gisbergen might be vulnerable to an exit after a sluggish start to the season, the announcement all but safeguards his future – short of official confirmation from the team.

Van Gisbergen’s prowess on road courses makes him a valuable commodity for Trackhouse Racing, having already booked his place in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs after his Mexico City win. Making the Playoffs comes with a significant prize bonus.

In recent weeks, van Gisbergen spoke of his appreciation for team owner Marks, who he said has let him get up to speed.

It’s widely expected that Suarez will be replaced by Red Bull athlete Zilisch in the #99 Chevrolet Camaro.

Zilisch recently recorded his first oval win at Pocono Raceway and has been given a similar introduction to the Cup Series as van Gisbergen did with a limited run of races.

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