Speculation around JR Motorsports’ long-awaited Cup Series expansion suddenly gained weight when Dale Earnhardt Jr., who co-owns the team and holds an active charter for the No. 40, responded to a fan’s suggestion: Daniel Suárez could land at Legacy Motor Club in 2026. The reply arrived just days after Suárez claimed victory for JRM in Mexico City, and it was widely interpreted as a quiet signal of interest. Four months earlier, after JRM entered the 2025 Daytona 500, Earnhardt publicly confirmed the team’s Cup aspirations. Suárez’s recent win, contractual availability, and prior Xfinity success with JRM suddenly checked all three boxes at once.

On July 1, just ahead of the GIF response, Trackhouse and Suárez publicly confirmed they’d be parting ways after the 2025 season. It was stated as a “mutual decision,” though inside sources confirm the 2024 one-year extension included performance clauses tied to improvement benchmarks—a safety net neither side fully met, as by midseason, Suárez had only three top-10 finishes with an average finish of 20.65. Suárez told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “I’ve known about this for a while… Now we can move forward with future plans”

But JR Motorsports had been discreetly preparing since April. A report by Motorsport.com in May found that JRM quietly reassigned engine, chassis, and aerodynamics personnel, previously focused on Xfinity, to early-stage Cup Next Gen testing under Chevrolet alignment. In parallel, they renewed their technical alliance with ECR Engines through 2026, reinforcing the build-out of a full-scale Cup support operation. On the sponsorship front, conversations resumed with brands targeting Hispanic audiences, a demographic Suárez has strong ties with from his Joe Gibbs and Mexico City Xfinity days. And now, with the public nudge from Dale Earnhardt Jr. puts one option under brighter lights…

On July 4, Dale Earnhardt Jr. responded to a fan’s post speculating about Suárez’s potential move to Legacy Motor Club by posting a GIF from Crazy, Stupid, Love. The clip shows Ryan Gosling in a tailored suit, subtly raising his sunglasses with a deadpan expression—half challenge, half assessment. The GIF, devoid of any caption, gained instant traction. No official offer was made, but in the context of Suárez’s JRM victory and Legacy’s rumored expansion, the timing became significant. 

When Daniel Suárez beat Kyle Busch at the 2016 Menards 250 race, Dale Jr was stunned: “He just passed Kyle Busch, nobody beats Kyle Busch in the Xfinity Series, especially back then. And I was like, ‘We’re going to take this guy seriously.’ Then you went to Homestead and… You went out there, and not only you made the playoffs and were a contender, you went out there and beat the rest of the competition for the championship. I was so impressed.” Clearly, ever since then, Dale Jr has not wanted to let go of his Mexican prospect. And now fans, too, are focusing their attention on Dale Jr’s elevated interest.

Curiosity galore in the community

One fan wrote, “PLS I’M BEGGING DALE, PLS.” Another fan echoed this sentiment, leaving their ardent wish out there for Dale Jr to see. They wrote, “I hope he does sign Suarez to the Xfinity program.” What is more, Suárez is no less talented. His 2016 Xfinity Series championship and encounter with Kyle Busch all prove what an asset he would be to Dale Jr. So somebody else wrote, “It makes no sense for them to not scoop Daniel.”

However, Daniel Suárez’s Cup Series stats still hangs over him like a dark cloud. His average finish slid from 16.5 in 2022 to 19 the following year, then improved slightly to 17.86 in 2024, only to dip again — now hovering at 20.65 in 2025. Nevertheless, fans are rooting for the Mexican speedster’s fortune, as somebody wrote, “I’m sure Suarez will land on his feet somewhere. With his recent success with JRM, I could see it, but we’ll see.” One fan is overly excited about the benefits they would receive. Being the only Mexican driver in NASCAR, Suárez sets off diverse storylines and merchandise. So the fan is excited about the JRM-Suárez collab: “Gonna be a lot more JRM merch in my house if he does.”

For now, Dale Jr is also helping churn the rumor mill. We can only wait and find out what the reality will tell.