NASCAR rumors: ARRIS could sponsor Daniel Suarez plus Gibbs car
By Nick Tylwalk
No matter where Daniel Suarez lands, he could have one of his big sponsors come with him, at least for some races.
Sometimes NASCAR sponsors align themselves with race teams, and other times with specific drivers. Often, though, it’s a mix of the two, which makes it difficult to say what will happen with someone like Daniel Suarez, who has been heavily rumored to be replaced in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota by Martin Truex Jr. once the current season is over.
It sounds as if at least one of Suarez’s major sponsors will continue to support him, regardless of where he ends up. ARRIS has been on his car numerous times throughout the 2018 campaign and could remain with him on another team, but with a catch.
Adam Stern says that ARRIS’ deal is with Joe Gibbs Racing but that the company might pony up a little more cash to stick with Suarez too.
.@ARRIS is considering sponsoring a second car in NASCAR next year for @Daniel_SuarezG, per sources, as Suarez is to be ousted from JGR's No. 19, which Arris still has a deal with.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) September 19, 2018
— Arris is connected to Suarez backer @Carlos_Slim_D.
— Additional spend said to be around $5M. pic.twitter.com/wtBCVQ90AF
Considering the widely quoted figure that it takes around $20 million to field one competitive car for a NASCAR Cup Series season, that $5 million would make an attractive part of any package that includes Suarez, if JGR is indeed bidding him farewell. Leavine Family Racing, which would switch to Toyota and be something of a satellite team in this scenario, would be one possibility for such an arrangement.
dark. Next. Could Dale Earnhardt Jr. keep racing in 2019 and beyond?
However, Gene Haas has also gone public with the fact that he has talked to Suarez representatives about the opening he expects to have at Stewart-Haas Racing in the No. 41 Ford. One of the things Haas noted was that Suarez “brings a different group of sponsors,” which sounds like it could include ARRIS.
Would it be enough to give the 26-year-old Mexican driver a leg up on other potential candidates for the 41 or other open seats? It certainly can’t hurt.