Daniel Suárez responds when told he can relax after Atlanta win: 'Hell no'

After Week 2 of the NASCAR season, Daniel Suárez has won a race and is locked into the playoffs, for the time being. More than likely, he’s going to be in the postseason, but that doesn’t mean he’s taking his foot off the gas.

Going winless in 2023, Suárez and his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing team went to work in the offseason. A few changes were made to their approach on race days. They made a swap at crew chief from Travis Mack to Matt Swiderski. Now, one 0.003-second victory and things have changed drastically.

As far as “relaxing” goes in regards to the season, Daniel Suárez wants nothing to do with it. His eyes are on a championship, and a handful of wins.

“I’m happy that we were able to do it early in the season because some people actually told me earlier, hey, now you can relax, you’re in the playoffs. Hell no,” Suárez said in the post-race press conference. “My goal is not to win one race. I want to head into the playoffs with at least a handful — with a few wins to be able to contend for a championship.

This is not relaxing here. This is only the beginning. We have to continue to work, continue to build.”

At Trackhouse Racing, expectations are high. While they are a fairly new organization, they have made a ton of noise the last few seasons. So, what is next for Daniel Suárez and the 99 team?

Daniel Suárez wants you to get used to him winning

When it comes to professional sports, one of the hardest transitions to make is the move from Xfinity to Cup. There have been champions in the Xfinity Series who just never achieve the same success when they make the move to the top tier in NASCAR.

Daniel Suárez is an Xfinity Series champion. He has 253 starts in the Cup Series, and he now has two career wins. In his eighth season in Cup, Suárez could finally take that big step he needs to compete at a high level.

In his eyes, Suárez is ready to compete for a championship.

“I’m happy that we are secure in the playoffs, but to be able to win the championship, you won’t do it winning one or two races,” Suárez continued. “You have to win at least a handful of races to create points, and that’s the goal for the 99.

“The goal for me with the 99 is for you guys not to be surprised when the 99 is in Victory Lane.”

Suárez is still one of the better road course racers in the Cup Series. He has shown now that he can win on an oval. He was P2 at Atlanta in the summer race last year before the rain moved in and William Byron won.

So, there are ways for Daniel Suárez to make a deep playoff run. Atlanta begins the postseason now. Watkins Glen is a playoff race. It might sound farfetched but don’t be shocked if the 99 car makes the Round of 8.