Although a lengthy pit stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course withheld Daniel Suárez from a pivotal win, there should still be plenty of optimism within the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing camp heading into the final two regular-season races.
WATCH: Suárez discusses ‘heartbreaking’ finish at Indy
While the pit stop incident in question might be four days in the rearview mirror, the error still resonates. After being a steady front-runner during the opening portion of the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard, Suárez brought his Chevrolet to pit row on the 48th circuit of a scheduled 82-lap contest. An air hose tangle with the left-front tire, however, created a 10-second gap behind Michael McDowell, and while Suárez was able to dig out of the deficit by close to half by the race’s end, it was not enough to overtake the No. 34, which eventually took home the hardware and clinched a coveted spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
A slow stop might suggest a disturbing trend, but a glimpse at the data suggests the misfire might be an anomaly instead of a new norm. Headlined by front-tire changer Josh Bush, rear-tire changer Jerick Newsome, tire carrier Jeremy Kimbrough, jackman Josh Appleby and fueler Milan Rudanovic, the No. 99 has delivered the fastest four-tire pit stop in five races this season (Auto Club, Talladega, New Hampshire, Richmond-2 and Michigan). And while the miscue might have weakened his average four-tire time compared to two weeks prior, the team remains the eighth-best in that department.
MORE: Playoff Watch | 2023 Cup Series standings
Despite the unfortunate circumstances, a third-place result wasn’t an entire loss. A still-strong points day means Suárez is only 28 points below the 16-driver postseason grid. But make no mistake: No matter how nice points are, Suárez is still hungry for a victory, and with another road course on the docket — this time at Watkins Glen International — an opportunity to lean on a fast No. 99 machine and a still-efficient pit crew could very well be the difference-maker to seizing the win and clinching a playoff berth this time around.
See below to analyze additional pit-road statistics through Indianapolis and before Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
TEN FASTEST FOUR-TIRE PIT STOPS IN 2023
| Rank | Track | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sonoma | Kyle Busch | 9.185 seconds |
| 2 | Richmond-2 | Daniel Suárez | 9.260 seconds |
| 3 | Richmond-2 | Ty Gibbs | 9.276 seconds |
| 4 | Nashville | Kyle Larson | 9.281 seconds |
| 5 | Sonoma | Austin Cindric | 9.301 seconds |
| 6 | Richmond-1 | Corey LaJoie | 9.309 seconds |
| 7 | Nashville | Daniel Suárez | 9.333 seconds |
| 8 | Richmond-2 | Ty Gibbs | 9.343 seconds |
| 9 | Charlotte | William Byron | 9.383 seconds |
| 10 | Richmond-2 | Denny Hamlin | 9.408 seconds |