Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Talladega Playoffs Advance

The race marks the fifth of 10 playoff races in 2022, but the second in the Round of 12. Four drivers will be eliminated from playoff contention after the Oct. 9 race on the Roval at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

No. 99 Tootsie’s Chevrolet driver Daniel Suárez enters Sunday’s race in Alabama sixth in points just 11 points inside the top-eight transfer positions with two races remaining. He knows there’s a chance to earn valuable points in each of the two stages at Talladega and even more with a good finish or a win.

Suárez arrives at Talladega after finishing 12th Sunday at Texas where he earned 13 bonus points by finishing fourth and fifth in the first two stages.

Scoring bonus points in Talladega might be a bit risky.

No track can gobble up a large amount of cars as quickly as Talladega. An early multicar accident would lead to a poor finish and no chance for bonus points, making advancing to the next round of the playoffs difficult.

Do you hang near the back of the pack, eschewing stage points, and hope for a good finish or do you charge to the front to earn stage points but risk becoming involved in “The Big One” so common to Talladega?

Tune in Sunday at 2 p.m. EDT on NBC to find out.

Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 99 Tootsie’s Chevrolet

Thoughts on Talladega?

“Talladega is very unpredictable and a lot of things can happen as we all know. As a driver you can put yourself in good positions and bad positions. You just have to be smart and keep yourself in good positions all day. Of course there is a lot of luck in that. If we can break even in Talladega we will be in good shape. I know the following week on the Roval at Charlotte we will be top-five and I expect to race for the win.”

How important are stage points?

“They weren’t as important in the first round, but in this round I think they are definitely a must. You have to earn stage points if you want to advance. We know that and it’s a priority. That starts in qualifying on Saturday, so you have to qualify well to start in a good spot and have a good pit stall then keep track position all day. We did that at Texas on Sunday.”

Can you win this championship?

“Somebody has to win it! You know at the beginning of the year (Trackhouse founder and owner) Justin Marks said something that really sticks with me. ‘Why not us?’ We might not have the experience in terms of years like many of the other teams have, but what we do have are the people, the corporate partners and the manufacturer support from Chevrolet to win this so why not? We haven’t gotten here by just luck. We have to continue to do our thing and see where all of this is going to take us.”

Thoughts on the remaining two races in the Round of 12 – Talladega and the Charlotte Roval.

“You know Trackhouse Racing has won at a superspeedway race when Ross (Chastain) won at Talladega earlier this year and then both of us have won on road courses this year, so we feel very confident in our setups and how we will race in the next two races.”

Follow Daniel Suárez in USA’s “Race for the Championship”

Ever wondered what Daniel Suárez’s life is like behind the wheel of a race car, at his home, in his race shop, in his car?

Here is the show to find out.

USA Network will air “Race For The Championship,” a new unscripted series about the drivers and teams of the NASCAR Cup Series, on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Click To Watch All Episodes

The series will give a behind-the-scenes look at the elite drivers and teams competing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Documenting the lives of the sport’s best on and off the track, viewers will get a rare glimpse of what it takes to balance personal relationships with the pressure to perform. Packed with action, heart and drama, this exhilarating series will offer up a taste of what it’s really like to partake in the world’s top level of stock car racing. Watch as the drivers are pushed mentally and physically to their limits, navigating a NASCAR season unlike any other – with a new car, new tracks and new challenges – for their chance to make history.

Over 10 episodes, “Race for the Championship” will tell the story of the 2022 NASCAR Cup season and playoffs.

Suárez and other drivers attended the world premiere of the series on Sept. 1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.