It won’t be easy. Just finishing at Atlanta is a tall task.

The newly configured Atlanta track has the potential to eliminate a lot of cars. Before the Cup Series raced at Atlanta in March, track owner Speedway Motorsports embarked on a renovation designed to create more pack racing at Atlanta.

SMI replaced the oldest racing surface in the sport as well as increased the track banking to 28 degrees making Atlanta the highest banked intermediate track. The track was also narrowed. The old racing surface was 55′ wide while the new one was now just 40′ wide.

It worked.

The March race produced 46 lead changes and one of the most exciting races in recent memory.

Suárez hopes his car is as good as it was in March when he led 13 laps before finishing fourth. He arrives in Atlanta after finishing fifth at Road America and will carry the colors of Freeway Insurance on his No. 99 on Sunday.

The USA Network will televise Sunday’s 400-mile race at 3 p.m. EDT.

Playoff Standings

Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet

What are your thoughts on Atlanta this weekend?

“Its a fun race. Things change quickly on that track now. One second you are in the lead then all of a sudden you can be in the middle of the pack. You know you are going to have an up and down day no matter what. So, you just hope in the end you will be up front with a chance to win. In March we were able to do that. Our car was good and we had some really good pit stops. That’s going to be important again this Sunday.”

Are you happy with the progress of Trackhouse Racing?

“We have fast cars, great pitstops and everyone is working together. We are nowhere close to where we know we can be so we have to keep working and getting better each week. We want to be at our best when the playoffs start.”

How important has the NextGen car been to NASCAR and Trackhouse’s success in 2022?

“I think it’s important that without the Next Gen car, we wouldn’t be talking about Trackhouse Racing, probably most likely we wouldn’t be talking about 23XI. The Next Gen car has brought a lot of opportunities to current new teams. I’m sure it’s going to continue to do that in the near future. I think that has been extremely, extremely important factor. Justin Marks has mentioned this to me several times. From the first time we sat together to talk about partnering together, he said this project is around the Next Gen car. I feel like that’s an incredible idea that NASCAR and everyone was able to put together to make it happen. “

Justin Marks To Drive Worldwide Express Truck for Niece Motorsports

Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks makes his return to NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) competition on Saturday behind the wheel of the No. 41 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio.

“I’m glad I can help support Niece Motorsports and thrilled to be in the Worldwide Express colors. Their Silverados have been fast this year so we are going to Mid-Ohio this weekend with the mindset of not only having fun, but believing we will run well,” said Marks, who led a race-high 43 laps en route to his first career NASCAR victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the 2.4-mile road course on Aug. 13, 2016. “I know how fast Carson Hocevar was at the road course in Sonoma before he had to turn over the truck to Daniel [Suárez]. I expect he’ll be just as good on the road course at Mid-Ohio.”

“We continue to look for ways to support and deepen our relationships with Niece Motorsports in the NCWTS and Trackhouse Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS),” said Worldwide Express President Rob Rose. “Both are highly focused on excellence and winning, as we are in our business. This race highlights our ability to work collaboratively to advance the sport together as teams, drivers and major sponsors. Having Justin behind the wheel will be a great event for all of us.”

Making his first national series start since September 2018, Marks has 35 NXS, six NASCAR Cup Series and 38 NCWTS starts, the latter of which includes four top-10 finishes and a pair of pole awards (Texas Motor Speedway, 2008; Dover, 2011).

“The partnerships Niece Motorsports has formed with Worldwide Express and Trackhouse Racing have allowed us to explore new opportunities this year and we are excited to have Justin in our Worldwide Express Chevrolet at Mid-Ohio,” Niece Motorsports general manager Cody Efaw remarked. “Worldwide Express’ commitment to our race teams and NASCAR as a whole makes this all possible and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship.”

“Worldwide Express’ investment in our company is not taken lightly and we are fortunate to have a partner who is always looking to expand its presence,” said Niece Motorsports owner Al Niece. “The expansion to a fifth truck this season has brought our company a great deal of success and I am excited to have a fellow team owner in Justin get behind the wheel of one of our Chevrolets.”

The O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will be broadcast live on FS1 and the Motor Racing Network (MRN) on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.  

Freeway Insurance, Suárez Launch

Partnership to Promote Safer Teen Driving

Freeway Insurance, the largest auto insurance and personal lines distributor in the US, announced a partnership with B.R.A.K.E.S Teen Driving Training and Daniel Suárez.

With mutual goals of educating teenage drivers and their parents about responsible driving, the partnership will encourage more families to participate in the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School.

A free defensive driving program, the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School is designed for teenagers who already have a learner’s permit, driver’s license, or at least 30 hours of driving experience. The program was founded by NHRA drag racing star, Doug Herbert, after he lost his two young sons, Jon and James, in a tragic car crash in January of 2008.

Herbert explained, “As a parent who has experienced the worst tragedy when it comes to teen driving, my goal is to make young drivers more conscientious and confident behind the wheel, keeping themselves and anyone who might be in the car with them safer.”

With more than 2,700 teens killed in car wrecks in 2020, motor vehicle accidents are the second leading cause of death for American teenagers.

Suárez added his voice to the importance of the initiative in a video series that will be hosted on Freeway’s YouTube channel and social media platforms. Daniel will participate in the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving course. The goal to bring awareness to the importance to young driver safety.

“Too many teens are killed in car wrecks,” Suarez said. “It’s my goal to make sure families never go through the pain that comes with deadly accidents. Together, we can help change this story.”

While conventional driving education is important and valuable, the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving Curriculum goes far beyond the basics, teaching tools like Collision Avoidance, a Wheel Drop-Off Recovery Exercise, and a Panic Stop Exercise to make teens confident when a dangerous situation happens on the road.

Cesar Soriano, CEO of Confie added, “We want everyone to have peace of mind when it comes to driving. We encourage parents to take advantage of the free driving course from B.R.A.K.E.S. because it could save their child’s life one day.”

Continuing on the back of Freeway Insurance’s stance on the dangers of street racing, Freeway Insurance works tirelessly with partners to bring valuable tools and strategies to keep roads safer.

“For our youth, it’s so important for them to not only be safe, but confident, drivers. Being unsure, afraid, or second-guessing their decisions leads to collisions, and they need tools beyond the basics taught in most driving schools,” said Trackhouse Owner and Founder, Justin Marks.

Don’t miss the Freeway’s YouTube video series of Daniel participating in the B.R.A.K.E.S. driving program and highlighting the importance of parents signing their kids up. 

To learn more about Freeway Insurance, visit freewayinsurance.com.