Determined Driving at Dover

Daniel Suarez started his weekend in the Xfinity series in a speedy Interstate Camry.  He was 8th and 7th fastest in practice.  Then he ran through the three qualifying rounds in 3rd, 5th, and 2nd, snagging a starting spot on the front row.

And the speed stayed with him throughout the race, as well.  During the first 60 laps, he maintained either 2nd or 3rd, finishing stage 1 in 3rd place.  With a car tight center but not too bad overall, he ran between 3rd and 5th over the next 60 laps, ending stage 2 in 4th.  And then with a car that got too free, he continued to run in the top five, only dropping back in the last 7 laps to finish the race in 7th place.

In the Cup series, Daniel's Comcast Business Toyota was just as speedy.  All three practice sessions had speeds in 9th or 10th.  And once again, he zipped through all three rounds of qualifying in 14th, 4th, and finally 5th for a top five starting position.

Once the race got underway, Daniel maintained a spot in the top ten through the first 80 laps, until green-flag pit stops got underway.  But before they cycled all the way through, a caution came out.  He found himself in 16th place one lap down.  He did not pit, allowing him to take the wave around and get back on the lead lap.  He restarted in 14th on lap 91.  During the remaining 29 laps in stage 1, he ran between 14th and 16th, eventually finishing the stage in 15th place.

Stage 2 was a chapter of maintenance.  They pitted for four tires and fuel and restarted in 13th.  He ran as high was 10th and as low as 14th, eventually ending the stage in 13th.

But stage 3 was an episode of improvement.  After pitting for four tires, fuel, and adjustments, the 19 team restarted in 12th.  On the first lap, they moved up to 11th, holding that spot until the second round of green-flag pit stops about 90 laps later.  This time the race stayed green until everyone cycled through, when Daniel found himself in 7th.  And although he slipped back one spot, he did maintain that 8th position through to the end of the race, earning the best finish by a rookie and the 11th top ten finish of his freshman season.

He earned 29 points in this race, bringing his season total up to 653 and holding on to the 20th spot in the drivers' standings.  He finished 3 positions ahead of Erik Jones and earned 4 points more than him.  He trimmed Erik's lead down to 75 points.  Daniel finished 14 spots ahead of Ty Dillon, earning 14 points more than him and extending his lead to 180 points.  At this point it seems likely that Ty is out of the rookie picture, leaving the race to Daniel and Erik.

Here are the separate rookie standings:

• Erik Jones --254
• Daniel Suarez -- 242
• Ty Dillon -- 182
• Corey LaJoie -- 155
• Gray Gaulding -- 140

Tenth Top Ten

In New Hampshire, Daniel's car showed good speed in practice.  He was 12th, 6th, and 4th fastest, showing improvement as the weekend went on.  Plus he was 8th and 7th fastest in ten-lap averages, showing good long-run speed.  But in qualifying he was 25th in the first round, so he did not advance and ended up with a starting spot on the inside of the 13th row.

Fortunately for us, a poor starting position combined with a fast car allowed us the pleasure of watching Daniel weave his way through the field.  He was inside the top 20 by lap 4 and the top 15 by lap 23.  When stage 1 ended on lap 75, he was running in the 12th position.

Speeding on pit road during the stage break caution saw him restarting at the tail end of the longest line in 23rd on lap 82.  Stage 2 was once again an opportunity for Daniel to work his way forward.  It took a while for him to advance his position because he first had to work his way through the cars that were one or more laps down.  But once he got back up to the lead lap cars, stage 2 looked a lot like stage 1.  By lap 113 he was back inside the top 20.  And at the end of the stage, he was running 10th.

Stage 2 ended with a multi-car crash that brought out the red flag to get the track cleaned up.  Thankfully Daniel managed to maneuver through the melee without getting caught up in it.  When the race resumed on lap 159, he was running in 15th.  And guess what he did throughout stage 3?  That's right, he once again advanced through the field.  First one position, then another, then another.  It took more than 100 laps before he cracked the top ten, but when he came off pit road following the caution on lap 263, he lined up in 8th.  Although he slid back as far as 11th during the last segment of the race, he did manage to regain the laps he lost before the race came to an end.  He finished in 8th place, his tenth top ten of the season.

He earned 29 points in this race, bringing his total to 624 and maintaining the 20th spot in the drivers' standings.  He finished 2 positions behind Erik Jones and earned 16 fewer points, so he fell to 79 points behind him.  But he finished 14 spots ahead of Ty Dillon, earning 7 more points than him and increasing that gap to 166 points.

Here are the separate rookie standings:

• Erik Jones --253
• Daniel Suarez -- 237
• Ty Dillon -- 181
• Corey LaJoie -- 154
• Gray Gaulding -- 140

Steady in Chicago

Daniel rolled into Chicagoland with double duty on his mind.  In the Xfinity series, he logged the 9th and 3rd fastest times in practice.  Then he grabbed a top five time during each of the three qualifying round (5th, 3rd, and 2nd) and snagging a starting spot on the front row.

Once the race got underway, he struggled with an extremely loose car.  He fell back a few spots, finished the first stage in 5th place.  His pit crew gained him a couple of spots, allowing him to restart in 3rd.  But once again he slipped back, ending stage two in 6th place.  Another stellar pit stop once again gained him a couple of spots, and some bad luck for his competitors saw him restarting in 2nd.  Now with a car too free on the bottom and too tight on the top, he lost a couple of spots but held onto 4th.

But then, about 40 laps after the stage break, Daniel felt a vibration.  He brought his car down pit road for 4 new tires and fuel.  Back on the track he found himself in 18th place one lap down.  But he was still feeling a vibration.  In the meantime, the rest of the field went through a cycle of green-flag pit stops.  Once they were complete, Daniel was running in 5th place.

Almost immediately the caution flag flew again, and this time he lost a few spots on pit road.  When the race went green again, he restarted in 9th.  Over the next dozen or so laps, he pulled forward a few spots, all the way up to 6th.

Another dozen laps, and Daniel was the one who brought out the caution flag.  He spun out but kept the car off the wall.  After pitting for 2 fresh tires, he restarted in 19th one lap down.  But with only 15 laps left in the race, he did not have enough time to get back onto the lead lap.  He was still in 19th one lap down when the race concluded.

Over in the Cup series, Daniel and crew snagged the 2nd fastest time in the first practice session, but that was based on being set up for mock qualifying runs.  In the second and third sessions, he was 17th and 18th fastest.  In qualifying, he was 15th in the first round and 13th in the second.  That was one spot shy of advancing to the third and final round, so he started the race from the 13th spot on the grid.

Once the green flag dropped on Sunday afternoon, Daniel managed to hold a spot in the low teens.  He was in 12th when the green-flag pit stops got started on lap 39.  When they wrapped up on lap 48, he was in 11th.  Ten laps later he cracked the top ten for the first time, then finished stage 1 in 9th place.

He ran in the top ten (9th or 10th) during the first 25 or so laps of stage 2.  After another cycle of green-flag pit stops, he slipped back to 12th.  That is where he was running when stage 2 came to an end.

He restarted stage 3 in 12th.  A quick caution with some nimble driving saw him climb back up into 9th place.  But a loose car had him losing a few spots, back to 12th when it was time for more green-flag pit stops on lap 200.  For the remaining laps of the race, he ran between 11th and 13th.  When the checkered flag flew, he crossed the finish line in 12th place.

This was a good, steady race for Daniel.  He was not up there challenging for the lead, but he was outrunning several of the playoff drivers.  Other than during green-flag pit stops, he was never further back than 13th.  For his first Cup start at this track, that is a more than respectable performance.

This finish netted Daniel 27 points, bringing his total to 595 and holding him in 20th place in the drivers' standings.  He was the best finishing rookie by far, finishing 21 spots ahead of Erik Jones and 16 spots ahead of Ty Dillon.  He earned 23 more points than Erik, trimming the difference to 63 points.  And he earned 18 points more than Ty, increasing that difference to 152 points.

Here are the separate rookie standings:

• Erik Jones --246
• Daniel Suarez -- 233
• Ty Dillon -- 180
• Corey LaJoie -- 153
• Gray Gaulding -- 139

The Conclusion of the Regular Season

This weekend in Richmond, Virginia, was the last chance to win a race and grab a spot in the playoffs.  The ARRIS Camry unloaded with the 17th fastest speed in the first practice session, then the 3rd fastest in the second and final session.  It looked like they found some speed, especially when he logged the 5th fastest time in the first round of qualifying.  But then he was ranked 16th in the second round and failed to advance.

Once the race got underway, he maintained his position in the top 20 for the first 20 laps.  But by the first caution on lap 34, he had slipped back to 22nd.  The pit stop adjustments helped him get back inside the top 20.  He was running in 17th when the caution came out again 50 laps later.  When stage 1 concluded, he was in 18th place.  Stage 2 was more of the same.  He restarted in 25th, got as far forward as 19th, and ultimately finished the stage in 23rd.

Daniel started stage 3 in 18th place.  By the time the next caution flag flew about 50 laps later, he had worked his way up to 13th place, his first peek into the top 15.  As a result of a speedy pit stop from his over the wall crew, he restarted 10th.  He could not hold that position, though, and slipped back little by little.  By the time green-flag pit stops started 60 laps later, he was running in 14th.  It took over 35 laps, but once everyone was done with their green-flag pit stops Daniel found himself running in 6th place.

Over the remaining 45 laps, young Mr. Suarez never fell out of the top ten.  And during the melee that was the final restart, he ended up piloting his #19 Toyota to a 7th place finish, his ninth top ten of the season.  He earned 30 points, bringing his season total up to 568, and maintaining the 17th spot.  Now that the regular season is over, though, the points reset for the playoffs.  Because three drivers behind him in points had previously won races, he falls to 20th in the standings.

He finished 1 spot behind Erik Jones, earning 13 fewer points than him, and falling to 86 points behind him in the drivers' standings.  He finished 15 positions ahead of Ty Dillon, earning 15 more points, and increasing his lead over him to 134 points overall.

Here are the separate rookie standings:

• Erik Jones --245
• Daniel Suarez -- 231
• Ty Dillon -- 178
• Corey LaJoie -- 152
• Gray Gaulding -- 138

Darlington Tamed Daniel

After a weekend off, Daniel Suarez rolled into Darlington for his first Cup experience at the Track Too Tough to Tame.  His car did not show great speed right off the truck, though, with practice speeds that ranked 19th and 10th.  Then, in qualifying, he was 22nd in the first round and just barely advanced to the second round.  He did a bit better with 19th place but not close to what he needed to move on to the third and final round.

Once the race got underway, he spent most of the first stage running near his starting position.  He fell back to 22nd by lap 4.  His stellar pit crew gained him a few spots on pit road during the first caution of the night.  During the second caution he slid through his pit box and had to back up.  As a result he lost a few spots, back to 22nd again.  But then he started picking his way through the field.  By the time stage 1 came to an end, he was running in 16th.

His pit crew got him a couple more spots during the stage break caution, so he restarted in 14th.  His car seemed to be coming to him, as he gained a position or two over the next 7 laps.  And then Darlington bit him.  On lap 124 he blew his right front tire, sending him into the outside wall, doing so much damage to the car that he was unable to continue  He would end his evening with a 38th place finish.

He earned 1 point, bringing his total up to 538 points, still sitting in 17th place in the drivers' standings.  He finished 33 spots behind Erik Jones, earning 36 fewer points, now 73 total points behind him.  And he finished 25 spots behind Ty Dillon, earning 23 fewer points, but is still ahead of him by 119 points.

Here are the separate rookie standings:

• Erik Jones --238
• Daniel Suarez -- 226
• Ty Dillon -- 177
• Corey LaJoie -- 151
• Gray Gaulding -- 137

Back to Bristol

Daniel Suarez rolled into Bristol with two teams.  He was slated to drive the #20 Xfinity car as well as his regular #19 Cup car.  On the Xfinity side of the garage, his car did not unload with a lot of speed, posting the 17th fastest and 10th fastest times in the two practice sessions.  Rain delayed the start of qualifying, so it ended up consisting of a single 20-minute session.  Daniel logged the 7th fastest time to grab a starting spot in the fourth row.

Once the green flag dropped on the Friday evening Xfinity race, Daniel ran in the top ten throughout the race.  He cracked the top five by lap 24 and was permanently there by lap 44.  He finished stage 1 in 4th place and stage 2 in 3rd place.  Initially he was happy with the handing of the car, but then it began to tighten up.  It was good on the short runs but would get too tight in the center so he had trouble turning the car.  As the race wound down he found himself running in 2nd, but by that time he had used up too much of his tires to reel in the eventual winner.  But his top notch run netted him a second place finish and plenty of experience for the next day's Cup race.

Meanwhile, over in the Cup garage, he logged the 12th and 14th fastest times in practice.  During qualifying, he advanced through all three rounds, with the 10th, 5th, and 12th fastest times.  He lined up on the outside of row six to start the Saturday evening race.  As the race got underway, he shot forward, gaining 4 spots on the very first lap.  He got as far up as 7th place before his car got tight.  He fell back to 12th by the first caution on lap 61, but the adjustments during the pit stop did not seem to improve the handling of the car.  By the end of stage 1 on lap 125, he had fallen back all the way to 18th.

He seemed to be locked in the teens through stage 2, never further back than 19th place, never further forward than 14th place.  That is where he found himself at the conclusion of the stage. 

Stage 3 showed a bit more promise.  He restarted in 9th, running between there and 13th for the next 100 or so laps.  Following a caution on lap 352, he restarted in 10th and moved forward, as far up as 7th place.  He stayed in the top ten for the next 25+ laps before once again falling back into the mid teens.

When the race concluded he crossed the start/finish line in 15th place.   He earned 22 points, bringing his total up to 537 and maintaining 17th place in the drivers' standings.  He finished 13 spots behind his chief rookie rival, Erik Jones, earning 28 fewer points.  He is now 37 points behind him.  Even though Daniel lost more ground in the points to Erik, at least Erik did not pull off the race victory.  That would have been more damaging to Daniel's run at the rookie title.  But Daniel did finish 21 positions ahead of Ty Dillon.  Those 21 additional points have now given Daniel a lead over Ty of 142 points.

Here are the separate rookie standings.  Note that Daniel has fallen behind Erik.

• Erik Jones --229
• Daniel Suarez -- 225
• Ty Dillon -- 175
• Corey LaJoie -- 149
• Gray Gaulding -- 135

For the second time in the last four races, one unsecured lug nut was found on Daniel's car.  There is no point penalty, but crew chief Scott Graves was fined $10,000.

Taken Out in Michigan

When Daniel Suarez pulled into Michigan International Speedway, he was returning to the track where won his first race in one of NASCAR's three national series.  Last year he wheeled his Xfinity car around Kyle Busch to drive away and snag his first win, which propelled him into the playoffs and toward his championship.  When his hauler arrived, it dropped off a Cup car that got progressively better throughout the practice sessions, logging times that ranked 20th, 14th, and 9th.  Qualifying was just okay, with a 19th in the first round and a 16th in the second round.  That was not enough to move him into the third and final round, so he ended up with a 16th place starting position for Sunday's race.

During the initial laps of the race, Daniel's car was free in the corners with chattering front tires.  He ran in the mid teens throughout stage 1, crossing the start/finish line in 14th on lap 60.

Instead of pitting, Scott Graves left the 19 car out on the track during the stage-break caution, so Daniel restarted stage 2 in 1st place.  He fell back to 2nd on the first green-flag lap but maintained that position for over 20 laps.  Then, on lap 89 green-flag pit stops began.  Two laps later the ARRIS Surfboard Toyota pitted for four tires, fuel, and a chassis adjustment.  Once green flag pit stops cycled through on lap 113, he found himself back in 2nd place.  He fell back a few spots during the final laps of stage 2, claiming a 5th place position and the extra points that go with it.

During this stage break caution, Scott Graves did bring Daniel down pit road to the attention of his over-the-wall crew.  It was a quick stop, changing only 2 tires, adding fuel, and making a slight adjustment.  When stage 3 got underway, Daniel restarted in 12th place.  He was struggling with his car and fell back 3 spots within 4 laps.

And then Kasey Kahne cut in front of Daniel, clipping the left front corner of the 19 car.  Daniel ended up out of control, hurtling toward the inside fence.  He hit the wall, bounced off, and hit it a second time.  His day was over.  I can't say that I am surprised that Kasey is out of his ride for next year. 

Daniel ended the day in 37th place, earning a mere 7 points, and bringing his season total up to 515.  He dropped to 17th place in the drivers' standings.  He finished 34 spots behind Erik Jones, earning 40 fewer points, now positioned 9 points behind him.  And he finished 16 positions behind Ty Dillon, earning 9 fewer points, reducing Daniel's lead to 121 points.

This is what the separate rookie standings look like now:

• Daniel Suarez --224
• Erik Jones --217
• Ty Dillon -- 174
• Corey LaJoie -- 147
• Gray Gaulding -- 133

The Tricky Triangle, Part 2

At this second visit of the year to Pocono, NASCAR decided to test a two-day weekend, with practice sessions on Saturday and qualifying plus the race on Sunday.  Because of the short time between the end of qualifying and the start of the race, pit stalls were selected based on the qualifying results from last week.

During the practice sessions Daniel was the 6th fastest (with a mock qualifying run) and 23rd.  He had a good qualifying session, with the 2nd fastest time, then 5th fastest, then 8th fastest, locking in a top ten starting position for the race.

 

When the green flag dropped, Daniel gained one position on the first lap.  But the first lap also generated a caution.  When the race resumed 5 laps later, he restarted in 12th.  Green flag pit stops ran from lap 15 through lap 46, and when they concluded he was running 20th.  He gained 2 positions before the end of stage 1, crossing the start/finish line in 18th on lap 50.

To regain some of the lost track position, his crew chief, Scott Graves, called for fuel and only 2 tires during the stage break caution.  When the race resumed on lap 55, he was in 6th place.  Except for one brief lap in 11th place, he maintained a spot in the top ten for over 40 laps.  Then with 3 laps left in stage 2, Scott Graves called him down pit road to the attention of the 19 crew.  That resulted in a 24th place finish for stage 2, but gave him the option of staying out once the race resumed.

And the plan worked.  When stage 3 got underway on lap 195, Daniel was in 5th place.  Except for cycling through green flag pit stops, he held a position in the top ten, eventually crossing the finish line in 7th place for his third consecutive top ten finish and his seventh overall.

He earned 30 points this race, bringing his season total up to 464 points, maintaining 18th in the drivers' standings.  He finished 1 spot ahead of Erik Jones, grabbing 1 more point than his closest rookie rival.  He has closed the gap to a mere 5 points.  And he finished 10 positions ahead of Ty Dillon.  Those additional 10 points have now stretched his lead to 104 points.

This is what the separate rookie standings look like now:

• Daniel Suarez --212
• Erik Jones --202
• Ty Dillon -- 171
• Corey LaJoie -- 142
• Gray Gaulding -- 133

Points update:  Following the race, Erik Jones car was found to have an illegal suspension piece.  As a result, his team was docked 25 points, and his crew chief was suspended for two races and fined $50,000.  Erik Jones' drop in points moved him behind Daniel in the standings.  Daniel is now the highest ranking rookie in the drivers' standings as well as the separate rookie standings.  This shift moves him into 17th place, 20 points ahead of Erik Jones.

Running Better and Better Every Week

Up in the lake country of New Hampshire, Daniel Suarez started the weekend with a car that was 11th fastest, 15th fastest, and 7th fastest in the three Cup practice sessions.  He ran similar speeds in qualifying, grabbing the 12th best time in the first round, easily advancing.  In the second round, he could do no better than 15th and failed to continue on to the third and final round.  But once qualifying was over, one of the cars ahead of him had its time disallowed, so Daniel ended up starting the race in the 14th spot.

Once the race got underway, he battled a loose-handling car.  Gradually he fell back until he finished the first stage in 21st on lap 75.  Since he had pitted for 4 tires during a caution just 8 laps before the stage break, he stayed out and restarted 13th on lap 83.  Within 4 laps, he cracked the top ten in 9th place.  During the rest of stage 2, he ran as far forward as 8th place and as far back as 13th.  That is where he was running when stage 2 ended on lap 150.

During the stage break, a slow pit stop saw him coming off pit road in 21st.  Over the next 60 laps, he made minor gains, advancing to 17th place.  Green-flag pit stops covered the next 30 laps, and as they cycled through, Daniel found himself running in 10th place.  He fell back 2 spots during the next 12 laps.  Following a caution on lap 261, the 19 ARRIS Toyota pitted, then restarted in 11th place.

And that was the last time Daniel would run outside the top ten.  Little by little, he picked up one position after another.  When the checkered flag flew, he crossed the finish line in 6th place, tying his best finish in the Cup series.  Oh so close to a top five!! 

He earned 31 points this race, bringing his season total up to 404 points.  He maintained his 18th spot in the drivers' standings.  He finished 33 spots ahead of Erik Jones, earning 30 more points than his closest opponent, closing the gap to only 23 points.  He finished 10 positions ahead of Ty Dillon, gaining 10 points on him, now putting him 82 points ahead.

As I suspected, Daniel's top-notch performance allowed him to regain the lead in the separate rookie standings.  This is what they look like now:

• Daniel Suarez -- 198
• Erik Jones -- 194
• Ty Dillon -- 168
• Corey LaJoie -- 133
• Gray Gaulding -- 117

Following the race, it was discovered that Daniel's car had one unsecured lug nut.  Crew chief Scott Graves was fined $10,000 for the infraction.  No point penalty.

From Running in the Top Ten to a Last Lap Wreck

When the 19 team arrived in Kentucky, they unloaded an Arris Camry that posted the 14th and 18th fastest times during practices.  During qualifying, he easily moved out of the first round with the 16th fastest lap time.  The second round was better for Daniel, with a 9th place time.  Then lightning rolled in, cancelled the rest of qualifying, and the results from round 2 set the starting grid for the race.

So as the race got underway, Daniel rolled off 9th.  Driving up front with the big boys, he did himself proud.  During the first ten laps, he gained 3 positions, advancing up to 6th place.  During the competition caution on lap 30, he pitted for only 2 tires, allowing him to maintain 6th place for the restart.

But starting in the outside lane proved to be challenging.  The lack of grip contributed to Daniel sliding all the way back to 20th place within 4 laps.  And then 25 laps later, he tapped the wall in turn 4.  He was struggling with a car that was tight in the center, with the back out of control.  He finished stage 1 in 19th place.

During the stage-break caution, the 19 team pitted for 4 tires, fuel, and a chassis adjustment.   When the race resumed, he restarted in 16th.  During stage 2, he ran as high was 12th place and as far back as 20th.  He reported his car too free in turn 1, tight on the exit of turns 2 and 4.  He finished stage 2 in 14th place.

During the stage-break caution, they pitted for fuel and just 2 tires, gaining 11 positions.  He came off pit road in 3rd.  With two cars staying out, he restarted in 5th place.  He spent the next 40 or so laps running in the top ten, as high as 4th and no further back than 8th.  Green-flag pit stops ran over the next 15 laps, with Daniel reporting that his car was loose getting into the corner.

Once the green-flag pit stops cycled through, he found himself slipping out of the top ten.  About 25 laps later, he was put a lap down while running in 12th.  He continued to struggle with a car so loose he could hardly drive it.  Then, during the final lap, he got caught up in a wreck that happened directly ahead of him.  As a result he wheeled his ARRIS Toyota home in 18th place 1 lap down.

He earned 19 points this race, bringing his season total up to 373 points.  He maintained his 18th spot in the drivers' standings.  He finished 12 spots behind Erik Jones, losing another 21 big points to him, now 53 points behind.  He finished 15 positions ahead of Ty Dillon, gaining 15 points on him, now putting him 72 points ahead.

While Daniel has been leading in the separate rookie standings throughout the season, his lead had been whittled down to just a couple of points.  I suspected that his bad luck in this race would see him lose his lead, and that is exactly what happened:

• Erik Jones -- 193
• Daniel Suarez -- 189
• Ty Dillon -- 166
• Corey LaJoie -- 124
• Gray Gaulding -- 109

Summertime in Florida Where the Humidity Is Beautiful

This weekend was the third time this year that NASCAR indulged in their ridiculous fascination with dangerous superspeedways.  i always hope that Daniel Suarez has a good finish, but that becomes secondary when the restrictor plates go on.  Instead this is the time i pray that he will leave the track healthy and in one piece.

As another double duty weekend, Daniel's responsibilities started with the Xfinity series.  His zippy racecar logged the 6th fastest time in the first practice session.  To ensure that the car would stay in one piece for the race, they elected to sit out of the second and final practice session.  During qualifying, he was 8th in the first round, advancing to the second and final round.  Then another 8th place finish determined his starting position for the race.

During the first 7 laps of the race, he ran between 3rd and 8th place.  But then the raince came and stayed.  And stayed.  And stayed.  Eventually NASCAR postponed the race to Saturday afternoon, a red flag that lasted for 16 hours and 15 minutes.

Daniel indicated that he was driving the best superspeedway car he has ever had, so everyone was eager for the race to get back underway.  He restarted in 4th on lap 13.  He fell back, running between 9th and 16th, eventually finishing stage 1 on lap 30 in 15th place.  When stage 2 got underway he ran between 15th and 22nd until Mother Nature intruded again.  This time it was lightning that delayed the race for 2 hours and 29 minutes.

When the race resumed, he restarted in 19th.  Within 5 laps he had gained 7 spots.  But then, on lap 51, he was involved in a crash that ended his day with a 39th place finish.

On the Cup side of the garage, his car was 14th in the first practice session.  Just as they decided to do in the Xfinity series, they did not go out during the second and final practice session.  Qualifying was rather blah.  He logged the 20th fastest time in the first round, so he did not move on.  That destined him to start the race in the middle of the pack.

Thankfully the weather was more cooperative for the Cup race.  Stage 1 was fairly uneventful for Mr. Suarez and the Subway car.  He ran between 14th and 28th, finishing lap 40 in 18th place.

Stage 2 saw him move closer to the front of the field.  He started the stage with a pit stop for fuel and only 2 tires, gaining him valuable track position.  He came off pit road in 4th place.  With one car staying on the track, he restarted in 5th place.  But 3 laps later he made contact with another car.  With a smart, head's up move, he was able to save it and keep it out of the grass by shooting down pit road.  He was able to get right back onto the racetrack, but by the time he got back up to speed he was in 35th place.

The next of many cautions popped up just 8 laps later.  This gave the 19 team the opportunity to visit pit road twice, once for the usual tires and fuel, then again to check for tire rubs.  He restarted in 34th on lap 63.  Throughout the remainder of stage 2, he steadily moved forward through the field.  By lap 70 he was up to 12th, and when the stage ended 10 laps later he was in 14th.

And then, the ultimate in gaining track position . . . they stayed out.  When stage 3 went green, he restarted in 3rd place on lap 85.  Another quickie caution, and 5 laps later he restarted in the lead, a spot he held for 10 laps.  It was a thrill to watch him lead the race!

But then he got left high and dry on the inside lane and plummeted all the way back to the dangerous middle of the pack in 23rd place.  He picked up 5 positions in just 2 laps, but then he was involved in contact on lap 106.  He pitted for 4 tires and fuel, then restarted in 19th place.

The next 20+ laps saw 3 more cautions, and he stayed out each time.  During the restart on lap 129, he found himself in 5th place.  And 4 laps after that, he put his Subway Camry in the outside lane and barreled past the cars ahead of him, claiming and holding the lead for 1 lap.  This was not him grabbing the lead because someone else messed up.  This was a power move, as he mowed down the lead cars, and it was beautiful to behold.

Unfortunately Daniel could not hold his position near the front of the field.  Over the remaining 25 laps, caught on the inside lane, he dropped back, bit by bit, until he eventually crossed the start/finish line in 17th place, the best finish from the Gibbs stable of drivers.  He earned 20 points this race, bringing his season total up to 354 points.  He moved up 1 spot in the drivers' standings, from 19th to 18th.

He finished 8 spots behind Erik Jones, losing 8 points to him, now 32 points back.  And he finished 1 position behind Ty Dillon, losing 4 points to him, but maintaining a healthy lead of 57 points.  And on the separate rookie standings, here are the current numbers:

• Daniel Suarez --185
• Erik Jones -- 183
• Ty Dillon -- 163
• Corey LaJoie -- 124
• Gray Gaulding -- 101

Next up is the intermediate track in Kentucky, where Daniel will be focused exclusively on the Cup race.

A Sunday Drive through Wine Country

Daniel Suarez's car did not roll off the hauler with a lot of speed.  Or maybe Daniel Suarez did not roll into Sonoma, California, with a lot of road course racing experience.  In any case, he was only 30th fastest in the first practice and 20th fastest in the second and final session. Surprisingly qualifying went much better.  He was 11th fastest in both rounds, locking in a top 12 starting position.

But once the race got started, he locked up his brakes in the final turn of the first lap, flat-spotting his tires, and getting minor damage to the nose of his car.  He brought his car down pit road to the attention of Scott Graves and his crew for 4 fresh tires.  When he got back out on the track and up to speed, he had fallen back to 38th, and it was only lap 3.

He had only moved up 2 spots when the yellow flag came out on lap 14.  He stayed out and restarted in 9th.  As the race resumed, he immediately fell back to 16th.  Four laps later he came back down pit road for a green-flag pit stop.  The strategy was to stop before pit road closed for the end of stage 1 so they could stay out during the stage-break caution and gain track position.  His crew gave him fresh tires and fuel, and the 19 Stanley Camry came back out in 32nd.  That is where he finished stage 1 at the end of lap 25.

Staying out allowed him to restarted in 16th.  He stayed out during the next two cautions, allowing him to advance as far as 9th by lap 40.  However on lap 44 he got spun out.  No damage, but it dropped him back to 21st.  Time for another green-flag pit stop, putting him back to 34th place.  He advanced 12 spots during the final 6 laps of the stage, crossing the start/finish line in 22nd.

Once again that late green-flag pit stop allowed the 19 team to stay out during the stage-break caution, restarting in 14th.  Over the next 16 laps he ran between 12th and 17th.  Lap 70 was time for another green-flag pit stop.  This one put him back to 29th.  As his competitors came in for their green-flag pit stops, he advanced back up to 16th place.  After another 19 laps it was time for another green-flag pit stop, coming back onto the track in 26th.  Again he regained positions as the field cycled, bringing him back up to 18th place by lap 101.  Nine laps later, he finished the race in 16th place.

He earned 21 points, bringing his season total up to 334 points.  He remains 19th in the drivers' standings.  He finished 9 spots ahead of Erik Jones, gaining back 9 points, now 24 points back.  And he finished 12 spots ahead of Ty Dillon, gaining 12 more points and moving to a total of 61 points ahead.

And on the separate rookie standings, here are the current numbers:

• Daniel Suarez --177
• Erik Jones -- 170
• Ty Dillon -- 154
• Corey LaJoie -- 114
• Gray Gaulding -- 101

Next week the Cup series heads to back to Daytona, Florida, where anything can and has happened.  I am praying that Daniel remains safe and grabs another good finish.

Día del Padre en Michigan

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there.  Feliz día del padre a todos padres.  How appropriate that on Father's Day, Daniel Suarez's dad, Alejandro, was able to come up to Michigan to cheer on his son.  I am sure both were hoping his attendance would bring good luck, especially because Daniel was returning to the scene of his first victory in the Xfinity series just one year ago.

The car they rolled out of the hauler was not that fast, though, only 22nd fastest in the first practice session.  During qualifying, he managed the 13th fastest speed in the first round and advanced.  But he was only 20th fastest in the second round, ending his qualifying attempts.  The final two practice sessions saw him in 16th and 6th, so perhaps his team found some speed in his Stanley Camry.


Before the race they found something wrong with one his tires.  As a result of changing tires he had to drop to the back of the field during the warm-up laps, so he was in 31st place on lap 1.  During an early-race caution on lap 7, Scott Graves, his crew chief, called him down pit road for 4 tires, giving them strategy options during the upcoming competition caution.  Those 4 fresh tires allowed him to moved up to 21st place by the competition caution on lap 25.  And because they had just recently put 4 fresh tires on, this time down pit road they went with a 2-tire stop.  When the race resumed on lap 30, Daniel was perched in 16th place.  He spent the rest of stage 1 and all of stage 2 ranging between 14th and 19th place, finishing stage 1 in 19th and stage 2 in 18th.

Because their green-flag pit stop occurred just 6 laps before the end of stage 2, they were able to stay out during the stage-break caution.  When the race resumed on lap 126, the 19 team restarted in 10th.  Over the next 25 laps he ranged from 7th to 12th.  But during the lap 151 caution, Daniel overshot his pit box.  The extra second or two needed to back up the car had him coming off pit road in 20th.

During the next 25 laps, his position ranged from 18th to 21st.  Then again during the next caution, Graves kept Daniel on the track, enabled them to restart in 12th.  One lap later, another caution, and another decision to stay out, this time restarting in 10th. With only 10 laps to go, it looked like Daniel had a good shot at another top ten.  And with gas mileage on everybody's minds, who knows?  Maybe even a top five.

But instead of the bad luck hitting his competitors, this time the bad luck hit Daniel.  Ahead of him, cars on older tires struggled on the restart.  The resulting pingponging of cars found the 19 car in three- and four-wide situations.  Those situations seldom resolve themselves without something bad happening to someone.   Eventually someone from behind caught the back corner of his Stanley Toyota, hooking him toward the infield.

A car on his inside combined with some pretty fancy driving kept his car from spinning out of the control, but enough damage was done that they had to come down pit road for repairs and 4 fresh tires.  Daniel restarted in 26th, and with only 5 laps remaining in the race, he was only able to advance 2 spots.

He ended the day in 24th place, earning 13 points, bringing his season total up to 313 points.  He remains 19th in the drivers' standings.  He finished 11 spots behind Erik Jones, losing more ground to him, now 33 points back.  But even though he finished 4 spots behind Ty Dillon, he is still a strong 49 points ahead of him.

And on the separate rookie standings, here are the current numbers:

• Daniel Suarez --166
• Erik Jones -- 160
• Ty Dillon -- 145
• Corey LaJoie -- 114
• Gray Gaulding -- 101

Next week the Cup series heads to California for the first road course of the season.  It will be fun to see how Daniel does on road courses.  Anybody know if he has had any experience on road courses in Mexico?

Experience at the Tricky Triangle

Once again Daniel Suarez found him handling double duty.  In Xfinity, his practice speeds put him 10th and 4th.  In qualifying, he was 12th in the first round, then 7th in the second and final round to determine his starting position.

When the Xfinity race got underway, he shot forward, up to 3rd on the first lap.  He maintained a spot in the top six throughout stage 1, finishing in 5th place.  He sang the same song in stage 2, until 3 laps before the end of the stage.  His team opted to bring him down pit road, so he finished the stage in 22nd.  But because he had recently pitted, he did not have to pit during the stage-break caution, allowing him to restart in 4th place.

Just like he did at the beginning of the race, he gained on the cars ahead of him.  Ten laps later, he took the lead.  Then it was time for a green-flag pit stop.  He came back out onto the track in 13th place.  But NASCAR caught him speeding on pit road, and the resulting pass-through penalty put him back in 28th on lap 70.

He picked his way forward one position at a time.  A caution just 7 laps later allowed him to stay out, restarting 10th.  He never fell out of the top ten again.  Over the remaining 16 laps he gained 5 more positions, eventually bringing his car home in 5th place.

 

In Cup, his car was not showing the same amount of speed.  He was only 26th fastest in both practice sessions.  In qualifying, he was 21st in the first round, then 14th to determine his starting spot.

Once Sunday's race got started, he moved forward a little at a time.  By lap 5 he was in the top ten.  He was able to maintain a spot in the top 12 until his green-flag pit stop on lap 19.  By the time the field cycled through their green-flag pit stops, he found himself in 13th place.  Stage 1 ended 8 laps later with his #19 ARRIS Toyota in 15th place.

He started stage 2 in 16th place.  Not counting cycling through green-flag pit stops, Daniel ran between 14th and 21st place.  He was in 19th place when the race was red flagged for cleanup following two separate incidents, which is where he finished stage 2.

Because he pitted just 4 laps before the red flag, he was able to stay out during the stage-break caution.  That allowed him to restarted 7th on lap 105, but he could not hold that position.  He fell back to 15th before his green-flag pit stop on lap 123.  After they cycled through, he was up to 14th place.  The last caution flag flew on lap 141 out of 160.  When the race resumed with 13 laps to go, he was on 19th place.  He was able to advance to 15th before the race ended.

He earned 22 points, bringing his total in the drivers' standings up to 300 and continuing to hold in the 19th place.  He finished 12 spots behind Erik Jones, so he lost ground to his key challenger in the rookie competition, now 22 points behind him.  But he finished 3 spots ahead of Ty Dillon, increasing his lead over him to 53 points.

And on the separate rookie standings, here are the current numbers:

• Daniel Suarez -- 157
• Erik Jones -- 149
• Ty Dillon -- 135
• Corey LaJoie -- 106
• Gray Gaulding -- 101

During post race inspection, it was noted that Daniel's car had a missing lug nut.  His crew chief, Scott Graves, was fined $10,000.

Next week NASCAR rolls into Michigan International Speedway, which is where Daniel won his first race last year to kick start his run to the Xfinity championship.  To get primed for next weekend, take a look at this clip:

Daniel Suarez bests Kyle Busch for XFINITY Series win at Michigan

Double Duty (and Double Recoveries) at Dover

Dover dished up another dose of double duty for Daniel.  The extra practice from running in the Xfinity race has proven to be invaluable in providing Daniel with more opportunities to learn the tracks.

His #18 Subway crew unloaded a pretty fast Xfinity racecar, notching the 4th and 9th fastest speeds in the two practice sessions.  Qualifying went even better, as he grabbed the 2nd fastest times in the first two rounds, finally ending up 3rd in the third and final round to determine his starting spot for the race.

As the race got underway, he ran in the top five for the first 45 laps.  But after restarting 3rd on lap 46, he felt his right rear tire going down.  As he tried to control his car and work his way to the inside wall to maneuver onto pit road, he dropped to back to 23rd.  By the time he got back on the racetrack with two fresh right-side tires and some fuel, he was 2 laps down in 35th.  When stage 1 ended on lap 60, he was 2 laps down in 32nd.

During the caution following the end of stage 1, Daniel stayed out, took the wave around, and got 1 lap back.  Just 15 laps later, he was in the lucky dog position, the first car one lap down, when a caution got him the free pass to get back onto the lead lap.  When the race resumed on lap 80, he was at the tail end of the longest line in 29th place.

If you are going to have a problem during the race, it is best to have it early so you have time to recover.  And recover he did.  Every lap or two, he would pick up another spot.  In 11 laps, he was back inside the top 20.  Another 10 laps, and he cracked the top 15.  And 10 laps after that, he was in the top 10 again.  But another caution and varying pit strategies saw him restarting 19th on lap 115.  When stage 2 ended 5 laps later, he was in 16th.

He stayed out during the between-stages caution and restarted the race in 2nd place.  One lap later he took the lead, which he held for the next 19 laps.  While his car was not stout enough to catch the leader and eventual winner, he did wheel his car to a 3rd place finish.

Things were looking good over on the Cup side of the garage, too.  He logged practice speeds that put him between 8th and 15th fastest.  Qualifying went even better, finishing each round in the top ten and eventually earning the 3rd spot on the starting grid.

Once the race got underway, he maintaining a spot in the top 5 for the first 50 laps.  The next 50 laps, he ran between 6th and 10th.  During the last 20 laps of stage 1, he ran between 10th and 14th.  As stage 1 ended, he came across the start/finish line in 10th.

He stayed out for the between-stage caution, restarting in 7th.  He stayed in the top 10 for the next 20 laps.  During the next 100 laps, he ran between 11th and 15th, eventually ending stage 2 in 13th place.

Stage 3 began with Daniel and his #19 Stanley Camry in 12th place.  For the next 85 laps, he ran between 8th and 12th.  But the race which had seen many cautions, allowing for frequent pit stops, suddenly went green for quite some time.  On lap 325, Daniel's crew chief, Scott Graves, brought him down pit road for a green flag pit stop to get fresh tires and more fuel.  As a result, he found himself 1 lap down in 20th place.

As luck would have it, a caution came out just 3 laps later, allowing them to take the wave around and get back on the lead lap.  He restarted 16th and started moving forward.  He was getting close enough to see the top 10 when a caution came out with just 4 laps to go.  He pitted for 2 tires and lined up in 9th place for the final restart.  That is when the day ended under caution as a result of a Talladega-style crash.

Thankfully Daniel came through unscathed, crossing the finish line in 6th place, his best finish thus far in his first Cup season.  He was the highest finishing rookie as well as the highest finishing member of the Gibbs teams.  He earned 32 points, bringing him to a total of 278 points, which keeps him 19th in the drivers' standings.  He finished 9 spots ahead of Erik Jones, earning 5 points more than him, bringing Daniel to within 5 points of Erik.  And he finished 8 positions ahead of Ty Dillon, earning 9 points more than him, positioning him 50 points ahead of him in the standings.

And on the separate rookie standings, here are the current numbers:

• Daniel Suarez -- 147
• Erik Jones -- 130
• Ty Dillon -- 126
• Corey LaJoie -- 98
• Gray Gaulding --94

By the way, Daniel's #19 Stanley Camry was the random car chosen to go to back to the R&D Center this week.

Next weekend we are off to Pocono to dodge the Pennsylvania raindrops and tackle the tricky triangle, where Daniel will once again do double duty in both the Xfinity and Cup series.

The Longest Race of the Year

Did you miss me?  I was vacationing out of the country, spending two and a half glorious weeks exploring Japan.  But you don't want to hear about me.  Let's talk about Daniel Suarez's results in the Coca Cola 600.

His practice times were okay, even good, logging the 13th, 4th, and 9th fastest times.  Qualifying, though, was not as good.  While he was 14th in the first round, he was only 20th in the second round, locking in a mid-pack starting position.

As the race got underway, Daniel's #19 Subway Toyota did not show much strength.  And after a pit stop following a caution on lap 19, he fell back all the way to 35th.  But that was the last time he would find himself that far back in the pack.  He methodically started making up positions.  It took about 15 laps to get back into the top 30, another 25 laps after that and he was back inside the top 20.  On lap 100, he finished the first stage in 16th place.

The second stage was interrupted for almost two hours by a brief but heavy storm.  When the race finally resumed on lap 153, Daniel continued to march toward the front.  Another 30 laps and he was in the top 15.  His pit crew gained him a couple of positions during the caution that followed the caution on lap 174.  He restarted 12th, and that is where he was positioned when stage 2 ended on lap 200.

Stage 3 was even better to him.  He lost a spot every once in a while but always managed to get it back, wavering between 10th and 12th.  When the end-of-stage flag waved on lap 300, he piloted his Subway Camry across the start-finish line in 8th place, earning 3 championship points. 

Stage 4 continued his strong performance.  He ranged from a high of 6th to a low of 12th for the first 2/3 of the stage.  But once green flag pit stops and fuel mileage strategy began to affect the race, he found himself positioned in the mid teens.  Through attrition, he managed to pull himself back up to a finishing position of 11th.  Had it not been for the fuel mileage strategies, he most definitely would have had another top ten finish, maybe even a top five spot.

Daniel's strong run earned him 29 points, bringing his total up to 246.  He is currently 19th in the drivers' standings.  He finished 4 positions behind his primary rookie competitor, Erik Jones, losing 10 points to him this weekend.  But he was 25 spots ahead of Ty Dillon, earning 28 points more than him, increasing the buffer between them.

And on the separate rookie standings, here are the current numbers:

• Daniel Suarez -- 131
• Erik Jones -- 121
• Ty Dillon -- 116
• Corey LaJoie -- 98
• Gray Gaulding -- 86

By the way, before my departure I noticed that this column was not getting as many visitors as it used to.  While I enjoy compiling the results of Daniel Suarez's races, it does take quite a bit of time and effort to pull it together.  If it does not meet the needs of his fans, there is no point in posting it each weekend.  So what do you think?  Should this blog continue?  If so, do you have ideas of more ways to get this into the hands of his fans?  Would you share a link to folks who may be interested?  If you do not think this blog is useful, tell me that, too.

And tomorrow, take a moment to remember the individuals in our Armed Forces who have given their lives to make ours better.