Ryan Preece, a short track ace who spent three years in the Cup Series with JTG Daugherty Racing, had SHR co-owner Tony Stewart court him last year to become the team’s reserve driver. Preece will replace Custer in the No. 41 Ford.

FLORIDA, HOMESTEAD (AP) — According to Daniel Suarez, he believes he has the necessary funds to maintain his position at Stewart-Haas Racing. The former Xfinity Series winner expressed a strong belief that he will return to the No. 41 Ford for the upcoming season.

He later found out that team co-owner Gene Haas had abruptly changed his mind.

Cole Custer, a 21-year-old prospect competing on Saturday for the Xfinity championship on finale weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, will take Suarez’s place in the Cup Series for Stewart-Haas Racing, the team announced. Because his Cup team needed his seat to promote another driver, Suarez has now been fired twice in a single year. He was let go by Joe Gibbs Racing last year in order to make room for driver Erik Jones.

Less than 36 hours, according to Suarez, were given to process the news that SHR was letting him go. He gave high marks to the executives who put in a lot of effort to retain the lone Mexican racer in the national series of NASCAR.

“We almost achieved the goal, but regrettably, some of the funds were not available at this time. It wouldn’t be sufficient when it arrived a few months later, according to Suarez. “I was almost positive we were in. I believed that we were doing well. I was taken aback.

Stewart clarified on Friday that Haas is in charge of the No. 41 team and that he made the decision to switch drivers, but he added that the organization approved of the change. Along with Kevin Harvick, SHR will compete for the Cup championship on Sunday.

Stewart remarked, “We are all comfortable with the decision, but Gene actually controls the 41 car.” Cole has performed admirably this year, in our opinion, and he deserves to be in the Cup Series. He is deserving of it. We’re still trying to figure out how to support Daniel because, in my opinion, he should be in the Cup Series; it’s just a matter of finding time for everything.

Stewart pointed out that since SHR created Custer and effectively has a feeder system with its Xfinity program, the promotion is the logical next step. Suarez was the fall guy because there isn’t room in the four-car SHR lineup without dropping someone. Custer, 21, is the son of SHR executive Joe Custer and a nine-time winner of the Xfinity Series. Custer has been a part of the SHR system. He finished second in the Xfinity Series the previous season as well.

“There are situations like this where there are more drivers than there are cars,” Stewart stated. We are in an awkward situation where we have to make such a change because we would like to have five cars, but we are unable to do so. It’s both bitter and sweet.

Custer described it as a “dream come true,” but Suarez expressed dissatisfaction. He claimed to have Stewart’s support as well.

He was making a lot of connections and working really hard to get me what I wanted. Since the 41 is not his car, Suarez lamented that he doesn’t have much control over the 41 team, and particularly the 41. It simply wasn’t meant to be.

After Carl Edwards abruptly retired from the Cup Series the following season, Suarez was swiftly promoted to the Series after winning the Xfinity title in 2016 while driving for Gibbs. Before Gibbs needed the position to finish Jones’ contract, he was able to drive the No. 20 Toyota for two years. Suarez at SHR came dangerously close to missing the playoffs, and he starts Sunday’s season finale at Homestead ranked seventeenth, the highest position that a driver who is not in the playoffs can hold.

Custer even improved his racing this season when asked to step it up, according to Stewart, who claimed Custer was prepared for a promotion.