Gambling in Vegas

Daniel Suarez had a busy weekend in Las Vegas.  The 19 team gambled that running in the Xfinity race in addition to the Cup race would pay dividends in experience.  (See what I did there?  Gambling in Vegas?)  It paid off for Suarez fans, too, with a double opportunity to watch him behind the wheel.

His Xfinity car was a rocketship in practice, posting the 2nd and 1st fastest times.  In qualifying, the Interstate Camry advanced through all three rounds, eventually earning the 3rd starting spot in the race.  During the race, he fought a loose-handling car.  During the second race segment he fell back into the teens,  recovering to finish that segment in 9th place.  But during the first and third segment, he ran solidly in the top ten, finishing the first segment in 6th place and ending the race in 3rd.

It reminded me of his solid performances last year, and made me wish that he had the opportunity to defend his championship, continue to gain experience, and have the chance to run a handful of Cup races in preparation for his future.  I think he would have given him an easier transition into the Cup series.

Over in the Cup garage, his practice finishes showed a marked improvement:  15th to 13th to 9th.  Just like Xfinity qualifying, he made it through all three rounds, landing the 9th spot on the grid.  His team selected the 38th pit stall, right behind Danica Patrick and just ahead of an empty stall, giving Daniel an easy drive in to his pit.

Daniel's first Cup race at Las Vegas proved to be another learning experience.  He quickly fell back into the 20s, where he ran for most of the race.  He would occasionally fall a lap down, but each time he would find his way back onto the lead lap.  While he did occasionally poke his nose into the upper teens, he ultimately finished the three race segments in 25th, 21st, and 20th.  For the first time in NASCAR's premiere series, he finished on the lead lap and earned a top 20 finish.

He earned 17 championship points, bringing his season total up to 42 points.  He moved up 3 spots to 28th in the drivers' standings, now sitting 90 points behind the leader.  A quick comparison shows that the three main contenders for rookie honors are within 7 points of each other.  Erik Jones is currently leading the way with 49 points, and Ty Dillon is close behind with 47.  In spite of his struggles thus far, he is keeping the other young guns in his sights.  And last year in the Xfinity series, he showed steady improvement throughout the season to eventually grab the trophy.  I am looking forward to a comparable upswing this year, as well.