Suárez knows it’s important to celebrate NASCAR’s 75th anniversary and Darlington (S.C.) Raceway’s “Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR” on Saturday and Sunday, but he points out there’s also work to be done for his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team.
Suárez arrives in Darlington after a 15th-place finish last weekend at Kansas Speedway where he finished fifth in Stage 1, but suffered front end damage then couldn’t get a caution in the final laps that would have enabled him to use a fresh set of tires while most of the field would have raced on used tires.
He is in 16th place in the playoff race, just four points above the cutoff for the final transfer position. A win will certainly secure his second consecutive year racing in the playoffs, but scoring a good finish will be another step toward a berth in the playoffs that begin Sept. 3 when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Darlington for the Southern 500.
“We are going to Darlington this weekend with only one thought in mind and that’s to win,” said the 31-year-old Suárez. “We will certainly enjoy the Throwback celebration and all the activities, but Sunday afternoon is where we must shine. It isn’t about points yet; we are focused on winning.”
Darlington Raceway is one of the most historic tracks on the NASCAR circuit, known for its unique egg-shaped layout and challenging turns. The track has been hosting NASCAR races since 1950 and is known for producing some of the most exciting and memorable moments in NASCAR history.
There is no more fitting place to hold the sport’s ninth annual “Throwback Weekend” when the industry honors the sport’s 75-year history and nearly all the Cup Series teams will sport throwback paint schemes.
Suárez’s No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet will carry a vintage Quaker State livery raced by NASCAR great Ricky Rudd in 1988 during the weekend. That year, Rudd joined King Racing owned by NHRA drag racing driver Kenny Bernstein and led by Larry McReynolds who served as crew chief for the No. 26 Buick Regal with Quaker State sponsorship.
Rudd won at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International that season and finished 11th in the standings.
Rudd won 23 of his 906 Cup races over a 33-year period including the 1997 Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rudd’s final Cup race came at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in 2007.
Quaker State joined Trackhouse Racing in March as a primary sponsor of Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet at the April 2 race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway and will serve as primary sponsor at the July 9 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Quaker State is also a Trackhouse team technical partner.
FS1 will broadcast the Goodyear 400 at 3 p.m. EDT on May 14.
Trackhouse Racing PR
