Suarez looks to use weekend as stepping stone
As Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 approaches at Daytona International Speedway, Daniel Suarez isn’t just looking for time on the track. He’s looking for consistency. Suarez, 26, barely missed a top-10 finish in last weekend’s Monster Energy Cup Series race at Chicagoland. He knows the playoffs are on the line, and that there’s only one thing that will help him get there.
“We have to stay consistent,” Suarez said. “Hopefully at the same time we can take advantage of opportunities and do things better.”
Before he looks at his opponents, he knows he needs to look at himself, and his team, first.
Suarez’s biggest challenge this year hasn’t been any one track or a single, identifiable opponent, but rather himself. As he sets about putting an end to the inconsistency he’s endured, he thinks Daytona could be the start.
“I feel like we have to keep working with our speed and our program ... We need to work on ourselves first before we look around,” Suarez said. “I just think our inconstancy and speed has been the biggest challenge. We’ve also been struggling in our luck, but I’m not fully a believer in luck itself.”
With just nine races left until the Chase begins, such inward reflection is becoming increasingly important for the native of Monterrey, Mexico.
Although he hasn’t had the smoothest year, Suarez looks forward to getting back on the track Saturday.
“The season is going great ... we just need to work on our consistency,” Suarez said. “I love how things have happened so far ... I’m looking forward to getting back in the car and out on the track.”
Chase Elliott wins pole for Saturday’s race at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — At Daytona International Speedway in July, the saying goes as such: ‘It’s not if it will rain, but when.’
And that prophecy proved true again on Friday, as an extended afternoon thunderstorm ruined any semblance of schedule at the track. But when the dark clouds finally subsided, there was time for qualifying for Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 — and Chase Elliott emerged on top, winning the pole at Daytona for the third time in his career.
Behind Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman will start on the front line and Brad Keselowski will begin third. Rounding out the Top 5 for Saturday’s race are Jimmie Johnson in fourth and Kevin Harvick in fifth. Kyle Busch, who won last week’s thriller at Chicagoland Speedway, will start 15th.
But qualifying wasn’t the only note of importance on Friday. Here are some other pre-race notes from Daytona Beach:
— The biggest storyline to pop up this week was the comments made by International Speedway Corporation (ISC) president John Saunders. Saunders said ISC’s attendance numbers were lower than anticipated because of issues with “star power,” and he hoped younger drivers would start winning races to remedy that issue. His remarks went over poorly among young drivers.
— Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon, who has not won another race this season, is making his return to Daytona Beach this weekend for the first time as the reigning champion. Dillon won in February with a lastlap pass over Aric Almirola — so how many times has he relived that moment since?
“Quite a few,” Dillon said Thursday. “It’s a good feeling coming to the checkered flag and the entire field is behind you. Anytime you can relive those moments, you try to. It’s kind of like a dream.”