During the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on July 13, Daniel Suarez publicly criticized his teammate Ross Chastain after a collision that caused Suarez to spin out. The Cup Series event, marking the 20th race of the season, featured the Ross Chastain Sonoma racing incident that significantly affected Suarez’s position in the race.
The incident happened on Lap 45 when Suarez, driving the No. 99 Chevy, was holding 14th place in a 37-car field. Chastain, who appeared to misjudge the final turn, collided with Suarez’s car in the hairpin corner, causing Suarez to spin out and fall back to 29th place. This moment clearly frustrated Suarez, who expressed his anger through the team radio.
Suarez’s team radio contained a sharp warning directed at Chastain:
“You better hope I don’t get to him today.”
—Daniel Suarez, NASCAR Driver
Despite the tension between teammates, Shane van Gisbergen, another member of Trackhouse Racing, secured his third win of the 2025 season at Sonoma. The race’s top five finishers were rounded out by Chase Briscoe in second, Chase Elliott in third, Michael McDowell fourth, and Christopher Bell fifth. Suarez managed to finish 14th, while Chastain ended the race in 24th place.
Daniel Suarez is currently in his fifth and final full season with Trackhouse Racing, a team based in Concord. Recently, it was announced that Suarez will not continue as the driver of the No. 99 car in 2026. Suarez addressed the situation, indicating he had known about the change for several months.
“I have known this for six or seven months, this was going to happen,” Suárez said in a statement. “It’s just like everything in life, things change, people change, companies change, and that’s OK, there’s nothing wrong with that. There just wasn’t really love anymore, but there is no hard feelings at all.”
—Daniel Suarez, NASCAR Driver
No announcement has been made regarding who will replace Suarez in the No. 99 vehicle next season.
Suarez’s Reaction to Chastain’s Spotter’s Apology Remained Silent
Following the on-track incident and Suarez’s warning over the radio, Ross Chastain’s spotter, Brandon McReynolds, approached Suarez’s pit area to apologize in person on Chastain’s behalf. Suarez’s team communicated on the radio that McReynolds expressed regret for the contact, explaining that there was no intention to make such a deep hit but the situation could not be avoided.
“(McReynolds) came down here and said he apologized. Had no intention to get in there that deep, but couldn’t get it stopped.”
—Team Radio Communication, Trackhouse Racing
However, Suarez did not respond publicly to the apology. During a post-race interview, Suarez stated that he planned to discuss the incident directly with Chastain. He also hinted at the possibility of retaliating if the matter remained unresolved.
Current Standings and What’s Ahead for Suarez and the Drivers
Daniel Suarez remains the only Trackhouse Racing driver yet to secure a spot in the playoffs this season. He is currently ranked 29th in the driver standings, holding 330 points, which places him 89 points behind the cutoff held by AJ Allmendinger. This position adds pressure on Suarez as the regular season approaches its conclusion.
The next race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway, set for Sunday, July 20. The event will consist of 400 laps and will be broadcast live on TNT Sports at 2 pm ET. Fans can also follow the race through live radio coverage by PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The Ross Chastain Sonoma racing incident highlights ongoing tensions within Trackhouse Racing and introduces uncertainty over how teammate dynamics will evolve in upcoming races. Suarez’s warning and the growing intensity between the two drivers could shape the competitive landscape as the season progresses.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why did Ross Chastain hit the wall?
A. In a conflict with Denny Hamlin, NASCAR stepped in and informed Hamlin that he had conveyed his message. During that same race, Chastain collided with Chase Elliott, making him spin. After the restart, Elliott nudged Chastain toward the wall, and Hamlin closely passed by to show his annoyance again.
Q. What is the Ross Chastain rule?
A. On Tuesday, NASCAR revealed several rule updates for the 2023 season. One significant change stands out among them. They introduced a rule banning the exciting wall-riding move used by Ross Chastain during last fall’s “Hail Melon” event at Martinsville.
