Daniel Suarez, Ryan Newman post first Top-5’s since 2019

The Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway produced the first Top-5 finishes for both Daniel Suarez and Ryan Newman in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2019.

Both drivers collected stage points in both stages en route to their highest finishes in over a year.

Leading 58 laps, Suarez netted a fourth-place finish and highest finish to date for first-year team Trackhouse Racing.

“To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing, but we’re having fun,” Suarez said. “Everyone at Trackhouse Racing did an amazing job. This is the second week in a row that we’ve had very fast race cars capable of running in the top five, top 10.”

The finish was Suarez’s first Top-5 finish since a third-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in November 2019, when he was driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, 45 races ago.

Suarez netted 16 stage points and after the Bristol race sits 20th in driver’s standings.

“I am really proud of the effort and a lot of guys got to see a lot more and experience a lot more,” Newman said. “…We had a pretty good car. I would have liked to see what we would have done with some track position but I am sure everyone else would say the same thing.”

Newman earned nine stage points en route to his fifth-place finish — his second Top-10 finish of the season.

Prior to Bristol, Newman’s most recent Top-5 finish was his runner-up finish to Ryan Blaney at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2019, 48 races ago.

Newman is ranked 19th in driver’s points after the Bristol race.

SOURCES
Ford Performance
Racing-Reference.info
Team Chevrolet