Watkins Glen, you got a top-5 in your first Cup race there. So it looks like it’s been a place that’s been good to you?

Definitely, Watkins Glen has been a good place to me. We have had a few top-fives there — never the win, but top-fives and it would be nice to get a win. But I wouldn’t be disappointed with another top-5.

There could be the argument made that you shouldn’t even be here after being let go by Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing and then racing for the Gaunt Brothers. To be in this position, I don’t know whether you look at it as being surreal or the way it should have happened. How do you look at your journey?

It’s been definitely a roller-coaster, I would call it, but that’s part of life. It isn’t the first time I’ve been in a tough situation in my career. I’ve been in that situation a few times in my career in Mexico and also coming here in that transition from Mexico to the United States. I’m not new in being against the wall. And, actually, I believe that I perform pretty well when people put me against the wall. Thanks to all these different scenarios, these different situations, I have learned so much and I’ve been becoming a better person, a better race-car driver as well. 

So right now, I’m happy where I am obviously, but I’m not satisfied. I feel like the 99 team is a strong team, but I want this team to be even stronger. I want this team not to be even thinking about are we in the playoffs? I want this team to be one of those teams that people get bored of winning too much, that it’s no surprise of seeing this team winning again and again. That’s my goal. And I know that with a lot of work, we’re going to be able to accomplish that.

What’s been the most dynamic thing about having Pitbull as your co-owner and being able to interact with him?

Pitbull is definitely a special individual. Believe it or not, we have a few things in common other than being Latinos. But also the fact that we came from nothing. I came from a very humble family. And for me to be a professional race-car driver was — the percentage of me making it, it was very, very low, as it was for Pitbull. We have had a lot of conversations on this and for me, to have Pitbull as my owner, we are, I will say, the only dual Latino like this in the entire sport. 

So it’s quite special. It’s very special to know that this guy has my mentality, and he is in my corner and he provides so much support for everyone at Trackhouse and especially to me. The fact that we can communicate in a different language, that makes things a little bit special, a little bit more unique, more personal. I feel very fortunate to have him on my car.

Daniel Suarez explains his personal connection with co-owner Pitbull

When you guys communicate, do you communicate in Spanish or English?

It’s in Spanish. Those are things that are natural. Spanish, obviously, is my first language. And I will say that for Pitbull, Spanish is his first language. And then his second language is Spanglish with the way that he sings. He’s great. I feel very, very blessed to be in this position. I believe that we have an amazing future ahead of us.

You often tell us a story about learning English by watching TV, cartoons and movies. Is there any of them that you still watch? Like, if one comes on now that really helped you learn the language, that you would still watch just because you enjoy watching it?

“Gone In 60 Seconds.” I love that movie so much. Whatever you want to know about that movie, I can tell you because I’ve watched it like 30 times. I love “Cars,” obviously, that movie is about cars, as well as the movie with Sylvester Stallone — “Driven” — the IndyCar movie. Those two movies actually I watched 30 times with subtitles in Spanish, in English, or whatever language you want. It was quite fun. I was watching the movies over and over again.

“Driven” got pretty much panned as not a great movie.

I didn’t know that [then]. I was very proud of my movie with Sylvester Stallone and they were making fun of it. I was like, “I don’t know about you guys because I enjoy it.” I actually believe that the coin thing is real.

Daniel Suarez on the movies that helped him learn English

What To Watch For

Just like all the races near the end of the year, the playoff bubble makes things quite interesting.

Chase Elliott, coming off a second-place finish at Indianapolis, has finishes of first, first, second and fourth in the past four years at the track. He has led 170 laps in those four events. Some would argue that his fourth-place finish last year should have been a win, but Elliott was forced off-track by teammate Kyle Larson on the final restart.

Suarez, AJ Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs have all shown prowess on road courses as well and can’t be counted out. Allmendinger won the 2014 Cup race at the Glen.

As far as the race itself, watch Turn 1 as drivers fan out during that turn, and it can get quite physical. 

Thinking Out Loud

While it is certainly possible there will be two new winners in the next two races, this season’s M.O. of a mix of repeat winners and new winners has me thinking there will be at most one new winner at The Glen and Daytona.

Certainly, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski would like that. One new winner locks both of them in the playoffs. They aren’t “safe” but a lot would have to happen for them not to get into the postseason.

So who would fill that last spot? I think it comes down to Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace — Suarez has a shot to win at the Glen and Wallace has a shot at Daytona. Suarez likely would have more Chevrolets to work with at Daytona than Wallace has Toyotas to score points if need be. 

Right now, I’d give the nod to Wallace. His organization has been consistently stronger throughout the year.

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They Said It

“I was definitely trying as hard as I can try. I just need to do a better job. … You’ve got to be fast to have a shot to win. That was good. Just need to be a little bit better.” —Chase Elliott after his runner-up finish at Indianapolis