Mexico City — Alex Bowman wasn’t sure he was going to make the trip to Mexico City because of lower back pain suffered in “the hardest hit of my career” at Michigan last week.

Second longest active NASCAR team owner has passed

On Saturday, NASCAR team owner Charlie Henderson has passed.

Henderson Motorsports is a NASCAR team based out of Abingdon, Virginia. They currently field the No. 75 in the NASCAR Truck Series.

The team has run on a part-time basis in the 2025 season. Parker Kligerman and Patrick Emerling have shared the seat.

Parker Kligerman stated, “Very sad day for this sport and the Henderson family. Charlie, his whole family & this race team have meant so much to me over the last decade.”

The team last ran in the NASCAR Cup Series in 1984 with Morgan Shepherd.

Henderson Motorsports comments

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our team owner, Charlie Henderson,” the team opened in a statement.

“Charlie was not only the driving force behind Henderson Motorsports, but also a beloved member of the NASCAR community and a dear friend to us all.”

“Charlie was the second longest active team owner in NASCAR, behind on the Wood Brothers. He began his racing career at Kingsport Speedway in 1975 and had been a part of NASCAR since 1982.”

“His passion for racing, commitment to his team and love for the sport left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him.”

“He built this team on hard work, family values and a love for competition that will continue to inspire us moving forward.”

“We are grateful for the many years of leadership, friendship and memories that Charlie gave to Henderson Motorsports and the entire NASCAR community. We ask that you keep the Henderson family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

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The 2025 season began at Kevin Harvick’s Kern County Raceway, where Trevor Huddleston held off a late-race push from Kyle Keller in a photo finish at the line to secure his first victory of the season. Fast forward nearly five months later as the ARCA Menards Series West rolls back to the 0.5-mile oval for the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame.

It’s anybody’s fight for the championship lead heading into the fifth race of the season, as Huddleston only leads Tucson winner Tanner Reif by two points. The rest of the top 5 in points are all just separated by 11 points.

Fifteen cars will enter the bullring, challenging drivers with the 14-degree banking in the corners, which allows for close quarters and fender-rubbing racing.

Among the entry list, a new driver enters the ARCA West competition in the name of Andrew Chapman, who will make his ARCA West debut, teaming up with points leader Huddleston in the No. 55 High Point Racing Ford Mustang.

Four drivers are making their season debuts on Saturday evening. Joey Kennealy, the younger brother of ARCA West rookie contender Robbie Kennealy, will be one of them, driving the No. 9 Ford Mustang for Jan’s Racing. This is the first time in team history that the team will field three cars in a championship points paying race. The last brother duo taking the track in an ARCA West event came when Ethan and Eric Nascimento raced against each other in 2024 at Kern County.

He will be followed by Jaron Giannini, who will pilot the No. 23 Toyota Camry for Sigma Performance Services. Buddy Shepherd is set to take the wheel of the No. 6 Toyota Camry for Jerry Pitts Racing. Finally, P.J. Pedroncelli will drive the No. 68 Chevrolet SS for Rodd Racing.

All seven full-time drivers contesting for the championship are competing in Saturday’s showdown, which includes Huddleston, Reif, Eric Johnson Jr., Keller, Kennealy, Blake Lothian, and David Smith.

The NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame at Kevin Harvick’s Kern County Raceway will air live on Saturday, June 14 at 10:00 p.m. ET. Radio coverage of the race will be on ARCARacing.com.

Daniel Suarez did something incredible on Saturday, earning a dramatic victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ long-awaited return to Mexico City. He did it all in a backup car, starting 39th before steadily marching through the field.

“This is very special,” said Suarez. “This is very, very special to be here in front of my people. All these people have supported me for many, many years. They have loved me since my NASCAR Mexico days. And now we’re fighting with the big boys, so it feels good.”

The final stage went green with 19 laps to go and that’s when the pivotal moment came. Suarez, who restarted fourth, sent it on the outside in a three-wide move for the lead into Turn 1. He took the top spot by force as chaos ensued behind him. The two fastest cars all day were heavily damaged as both Connor Zilisch and Ty Gibbs crashed. Several other drivers were collected in the melee through Turns 1 and 2 while Suarez escaped unscathed.

Watch: Zilisch, Gibbs, others involved in multiple wrecks to begin final stage

The following restart was much cleaner as Suarez held onto the top spot. Despite the damage, Zilisch drove his wounded car back through the field, setting the fastest lap of all drivers. Suarez was cruising, but of course, a caution with seven laps to go for an incident involving Jesse Love set-up a mad dash to the finish.

Suarez had to hold on in another hectic restart with Gray drawing even with him, slamming doors through Turns 1 and 2. Suarez ran off into the grass due to the contact, but held onto the race lead. Gray never let him get too far away, shadowing him throughout the closing laps. On the final lap, Gray went for a mega lunge into the final corner, but kept it clean as Suarez escaped with the victory in hand.

Gray finished second, Austin Hill third, Christian Eckes fourth, and Zilisch fifth. William Sawalich finished sixth, Austin Green seventh, Jeb Burton eighth, Harrison Burton ninth, and Sammy Smith tenth.

Stages 1 and 2

Daniel Suarez, JR Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

The race got underway with Zilisch starting from pole position. Suarez did not wait to begin his march, quickly moving from 39th to 25th by the time the first caution flew on Lap 3. That was for Sam Mayer, who spun into the barriers.

Zilisch lost the lead after getting bumped out of the way, but he quickly rebounded as a tense fight for the lead played out between himself and Gibbs. They, along with several other frontrunners chose to short-pit, choosing track position over stage points. Carson Kvapil was among those who stayed out, winning Stage 1 win.

Several drivers suffered mechanical issues in the opening stage, including Justin Allgaier Jeremy Clements, and 2020 NASCAR Mexico champion Ruben Rovelo.

At the beginning of Stage 2, Suarez quickly moved from seventh to third with a bold lunge into Turn 1, but it was Zilisch was the driver in control of the race.

There were various single-car spins, but no cautions for cause during the second stage. Of note, Hill suffered a cut tire that put him to the tail-end of the lead lap. As drivers again chose to short-pit, Christopher Bell’s engine blew while running third. He limped into the pits and pulled to the side, allowing the stage to end under green flag conditions.

Sammy Smith claimed the Stage 2 win as Zilisch and Gibbs had a dramatic race off pit road, running side-by-side through the pit exit. Zilisch prevailed, but at the start of the final stage, both he and Gibbs would see their shot at a win slip away through the previously mentioned chaos.

After Suarez’s three-wide move to take the lead with 19 laps to go, he never relinquished the top spot again. This is his first Xfinity winning the 2016 finale at Homestead, where he also won the championship. He now has four career victories in the Xfinity Series.

MEXICO CITY — For Daniel Suárez, los sueños se hacen realidad.

His dreams came true on Saturday in Mexico City, with the Mexico native scoring a stirring victory in front of his home fans upon NASCAR’s first Xfinity Series race south of the border since 2008.

DANIEL SUÁREZ WINS IN MEXICO CITY! pic.twitter.com/UgfLoKVgyw

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 14, 2025

Suárez crashed hard in qualifying early Saturday at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and was forced into a backup car with his JR Motorsports entry, with the team taking more than three hours to rebuild the car. The bare-looking backup only arrived at the grid 30 minutes before the race.

Then Suárez electrified the crowd by becoming the first driver in any series in NASCAR history to go from last to first in a road course race (according to historian Seth Eggert).

Suárez said the win ranked with his greatest career moments, like winning the 2016 Xfinity Series title.

“Just the fact we have this amazing race here means the world,” Suárez said. “You know how excited I have been to be here and to have you (NASCAR) guys here. Just over 10 years ago, I left this country, just trying to find an opportunity in the United States with nothing. I just feel very blessed and happy for everything we were able to accomplish today.”

Suárez held off Taylor Gray to win on a late restart with four laps to go after Gray forced him off the track and into the grass; NASCAR did not penalize Suárez for cutting the course due to the contact from Gray.

“I didn’t mean to obviously run him into the grass,” Gray said. “Just ran out of room.”

Suárez has dreamed of bringing NASCAR back to Mexico ever since he entered the national series ranks. He did not speak any English when he moved to the United States and made it to the Cup Series, but has had a rollercoaster career — twice losing his ride but also winning two Cup races.

He hopes to do so again Sunday, when NASCAR will hold its first international points race for the Cup Series since 1958.

However, as part of NASCAR’s trip to Mexico, Suárez also entered the Xfinity Series race (NASCAR’s equivalent of Triple A baseball). The day couldn’t have gone worse at the beginning, as Suárez overcooked his entry speed into the famous stadium section and smashed his car into the safety barriers, destroying the front end.

That seemingly left him out of contention, as no one had previously accomplished a worst-to-first on a non-oval in NASCAR history. Except Suárez, in storybook manner, somehow pulled it off.

“I have never experienced what I experienced today,” Suárez said. “When I took the lead, I was able to hear the people like they were right here (next to him). I got goosebumps and I felt so blessed. I have never had that feeling in my life.”

As the Mexican fans cheered over the noise of the engines, Suárez celebrated with a long burnout and then climbed from his car to salute the crowd, pumping his fist, pounding his chest and showing a thank-you gesture to his supporters.

Suárez grabbed a Mexican flag to celebrate, then stood atop the top step of NASCAR’s victory podium — in the style of Formula One — as Mexico’s national anthem played.

“Unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” said NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is co-owner of JR Motorsports. “Daniel is so beloved here and he has a lot of pride, a lot of national pride, so good to see him have success.

“There’s a lot of pressure on him. I can’t imagine him coming here and feeling the pressure to perform and succeed in front of his fans. I’m so thankful that he’s able to enjoy this moment.”

Said NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps: “It’s great for NASCAR in Mexico. It’s great for NASCAR around the world. He’s a great guy, a champion. Very happy for him and (wife) Julia (Piquet) and the whole team. It’s a special moment.”

(Photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.

The Chilango 150

Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Course: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Format: 2.42-mile road course
Laps: 65

The Chilango 150 Preview

The Xfinity Series returns after a one-week hiatus and will do so with significant intrigue. Both the Xfinity and Cup Series will head to Mexico for a road course race in the same venue that F1 and a number of other disciplines of racing take place. Justin Allgaier is coming off of his third win in the series, tying him for the lead with Austin Hill.

The entrant list may not be as a star-studded for a marquee event, but we will get Daniel Suarez competing in his home race as well as other Cup drivers Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell. Other guest drivers include Andres Perez De Lara and Ruben Rovelo. Perez de Lara should be known to fans of the Truck Series, as he competes full-time for Spire Motorsports. Rovelo is NASCAR Mexico Champion and has 28 wins in the series and is likely to be a fan favorite.

Last 10 Road Course Winners

2025 Circuit of Americas – Connor Zilisch (1)
2024 Roval – Sam Mayer (2)
2024 Watkins Glen – Connor Zilisch (1)
2024 Chicago Street Course –  Shane van Gisbergen (1)
2024 Sonoma Raceway -Shane van Gisbergen (1)
2024 Portland International Raceway – Shane van Gisbergen (1)
2024 Circuit of the Americas – Kyle Larson (1)
2023 Roval – Sam Mayer (1)
2023 Watkins Glen – Sam Mayer (5)
2023 Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – Ty Gibbs (2)

Unlike the Cup Series, Xfinity has been to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez before, but not since 2008. The trends aren’t all that useful to look at as a result, and the most recent winners certainly won’t have any reflection on the current field. The recent road course history makes clear that qualifying is of extreme importance. For those interested in looking at the history of the track, the winners qualified third, second, third and sixth.

Anyone who has followed any coverage of the race week is well aware that the high altitude is expected to wreak havoc on the field. There’s really no way of predicting who will be most affected in the field, but it is worth being aware of.  

RotoWire NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Tools

NASCAR Lineup Optimizer

NASCAR Projections

DraftKings Value Picks for the Chilango 150

Based on a Standard $50K Salary Cap

DraftKings Tier 1 Values

Connor Zilisch – $11,000
Daniel Suarez – $10,500
Christopher Bell – $10,200
Ty Gibbs – $10,000

DraftKings Tier 2 Values

Sam Mayer – $9,500
Austin Hill -$9,000
Jesse Love – $8,600

DraftKings Tier 3 Values

Christian Eckes – $8,000
William Sawalich -$7,800
Andres Perez De Lara- $7,300

DraftKings Tier 4 Values  

Alex Labbe – $6,800
Parker Retzlaff – $6,400
Ruben Rovelo – $5,800

NASCAR DFS Picks for the Chilango 150

Connor Zilisch – $11,000
Daniel Suarez- $10,500
Sam Mayer – $9,500
Alex Labbe – $6,800
Parker Retzlaff – $6,400
Ruben Rovelo – $5,800

Typically, we try to present different strategies to build lineups, but this weekend seemingly offers the perfect set of circumstances to execute a stars and scrubs build. This depends somewhat on an old-school view of road courses, which were highly specialized just a few years ago. However, Xfinity teams have fewer resources than Cup, and most drivers will have a total lack of familiarity with this course. That suggests that we should rely on proven road course aces and those who are familiar with Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

This is Zilisch’s first full season in the Xfinity Series, but we have enough of a sample to know he’s very likely to excel this weekend. Between Trucks, Xfinity and Cup, he has made four starts on a road course, winning twice and finishing inside the top five on three occasions. Suarez isn’t quite as easy of a pick, but he’s performed relatively well at road courses during his Cup Series career, with all of Chicago Street, Sonoma, COTA and Watkins Glen all in the top eight of his driver rating.

That leads to our punt plays. Each of Labbe’s five best driver ratings comes at road courses. Combined between Portland, the Charlotte Roval, Indy Road Course, COTA and Road America, Labbe has made 13 starts in the Xfinity Series. He has two top-10 finishes, but 10 finishes inside the top 20. That’s not thrilling on the surface, but it would get the job done at his price. Zilisch has a far more extensive history, logging 14 starts at road courses and one top-10 finish as well as nine top-20 finishes –a solid history for his price point. Rovelo is a bet based on his knowledge of the track. He’s made starts at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez most years since 2008. Keep expectations in check, but he’s worth speculating on.

Mayer fits somewhere in between the two groups, but his history on road courses is illustrated well in the section above.

NASCAR Best Bets for The Chilango 150

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 11:30 AM ET Saturday

Race Winner: Christopher Bell (+750), Sam Mayer (+1200)

Top-five finisher: Sam Mayer (+130), Taylor Gray (+550)

Head-to-Head Matchup: Sam Mayer (-135) vs. Justin Allgaier

Head -to-Head Matchup: Taylor Gray (-130) vs. Sammy Smith

As usual, most of the logic for our favorite drivers this weekend has been covered in the DFS section. Mayer stands out as a driver with some value, as he’s priced among the favorites, but a significant amount behind the likes of Zilisch, Suarez, Gibbs and Bell. Mayer isn’t known as a road course specialist because he has a solid all-around resume, but he has finished inside the top five in nine of his 21 road course races in the Xfinity series.

We didn’t mention Bell much in the DFS section of the article, but he shouldn’t be forgotten as a potential race winner. He has Cup wins at the Roval and COTA and is more accomplished than pretty much the entire field.

There are some head-to-head options to consider for those interested in shorter odds. Taylor Gray is worth mentioning in that regard. He has very limited history in Xfinity, but he finished eighth at COTA earlier this season and had one top-five finish in three races at COTA in the Truck Series.

Mapping out your wagers for the Xfinity Series race? Check out the latest Sportsbook Promo Codes to get special offers and make the most of your bets.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it’s possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Dan Marcus plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: marcusd91
DraftKings: dmarcus87.