The bonus points and race finish - his seventh top-10 of the season - moved Suárez from 34 to just five points outside the 16th and final playoff spot in the 2023 NASCAR playoff standings.

Just three races remain in the regular season beginning Sunday in Indianapolis, followed by another road course at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International before it concludes on the superspeedway at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Suárez has demonstrated prowess on the road course as well as drafting tracks like Daytona.

"Michigan was so great for us," said Suárez. "We had a really good race. We were consistent, fast and everyone did a great job from the spotter to the pit crew to our race strategy. If we do this three more races we are going to be fine."

Suárez's No. 99 will carry a new tweak to its blue and green Freeway Insurance paint scheme on Sunday. For the rest of the season it will be the Freeway.com Chevrolet.

Freeway will do its best to keep the momentum this weekend for Suárez and his fans.

Fans can meet Suárez at 3 p.m. EDT Friday at the Freeway Insurance office at 5945 Crawfordsville Rd., Suite B, in Speedway, Indiana to get autographs and pictures, win prizes and enjoy the live radio stations on site.

Freeway hosts these events during its race weekends and they always attract large numbers of Suárez fans who come to meet the only Mexican driver to ever win a Cup Series race.

"It's always a blast to meet with my Amigos," laughed Suárez. "We are doing it Friday so we can be extra pumped up going into the weekend. I get a lot of energy from meeting the fans. Everywhere we go they make me feel very welcome. It's like being at home."

Suárez would love nothing more than a repeat performance of Michigan this weekend as the playoff push continues.

NBC will televise Sunday's race at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

Daniel Suárez

What are your thoughts going to Indianapolis?

"We just have to be smart. We need to do what we do and stay out of trouble and get good finishes. When we are in sync we are a team that is hard to beat.

"Our goal at Michigan was to have a good execution race, and build some momentum heading into Indianapolis where we know we are going to be good. I think we did that and are in a pretty good spot.

"You have to keep in mind, with two road courses and a superspeedway, anything can happen. Sometimes with the strategy and the way people push and move around at the end of these races on road courses it can be a wild card. Obviously, anything can happen at Daytona as well. We just have to maximize every day and continue to work."

Meet Suárez 3 p.m. Friday at Freeway Insurance Office Near Track

5945 Crawfordsville Road Suite B in Speedway