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.

NASCAR Xfinity results from Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City

NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers are on the grid in Mexico City. Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is set to host the Chilango 150.

View Mexico results for the NASCAR Xfinity Series below.

Mexico Menu
Xfinity: Prac/Qual | Race
Cup: Prac | Qual | Race

Mexico TV Schedule

Daniel Suarez is starting this race for the rear of the field after a crash in qualifying.

Connor Zilisch and Ty Gibbs set the front row. 65 laps of stock car racing are up next…

Mexico Xfinity
Stage 1 – Report

Laps: 20 (1-20 / 65)

Green flag, they run side by side into turn one. They bang doors and Ty Gibbs wins the battle off turn two.

Lap 2, Zilisch has a run on Gibbs into turn one. They rub again! Zilisch is off track and in the grass off the front bumper of Gibbs. Gibbs holds the lead as Zilisch falls to 5th.

Lap 3, Sam Mayer wheel hops under brakes, he’s off track and into the tire barrier. The caution is out.

Green, Gibbs throws a block on Sammy Smith. Gibbs holds the lead off turn two.

8 to go in stage one, Zilisch is back to 2nd and he leans on the bumper of Gibbs into turn one in the battle for the lead. Gibbs holds the lead. Christopher Bell spins from 3rd, no caution!

6 to go, Allgaier heads behind the wall with a mechanical failure.

2 to go, most of the leaders head for the pit lane. Zilisch beats Gibbs to the pit exit.

Carson Kvapil stays out and wins stage one in Mexico City!

Mexico Results (Stage 1) : 1. Carson Kvapil; 2. Taylor Gray; 3. Jesse Love; 4. Austin Hill; 5. Nick Sanchez; 6. Brandon Jones; 7. Sage Karam; 8. Matt DiBenedetto; 9. Jeb Burton; 10. Alex Labbe;

Mexico Xfinity
Stage 2 – Report

Laps: 20 (21-40 / 65)

Kvapil and the rest of the cars that haven’t pit head for the pit lane. Zilisch cycles to the race lead.

Green flag on stage two, Zilisch and Bell run side by side into turn one. Zilisch wins the race to the turn two.

Lap 28, Daniel Suarez has climbed from the tail of the field to 3rd.

3 to go in stage two, Christopher Bell is up in smoke and he heads for the pit lane.

2 to go, Zilisch and most of the leaders head for the pit lane.

Sammy Smith stays out and takes the stage two win in Mexico City!

Mexico Results (Stage 2) : 1. Sammy Smith; 2. Taylor Gray; 3. Sheldon Creed; 4. Brandon Jones; 5. Christian Eckes; 6. Daniel Dye; 7. Dean Thompson; 8. Nick Sanchez; 9. Connor Zilisch; 10. Ty Gibbs

Mexico Xfinity
Stage 3 – Report

Laps: 25 (41-65 / 65)

Smith and the rest of the field head for the pit lane. Zilisch cycles back to the race lead.

Green flag on stage three, Gibbs, Zilisch and Suarez form three wide for the lead into turn one! Zilisch is out of track and in the grass. Zilisch spins with heavy damage.

Gibbs and Carson Kvapil bang wheels into turn two. They both run wide and Gibbs is slammed into as cars pile into the scene. The caution is out. Daniel Suarez is the race leader.

Green, Suarez clears Christian Eckes into turn one.

8 to go, Suarez leads Taylor Gray by 1 second.

7 to go, Jesse Love is around and the caution is out.

Green, Suarez and Gray run side by side into turn one. They bang wheels in turn two and Suarez is shoved into the grass. Suarez pops out of the grass with the race lead!

2 to go, Suarez leads Gray by 3 car lengths.

1 to go, Gray drive it deep into the final corner. He barely touches the bumper of Suarez but it’s not enough.

Daniel Suarez wins in Mexico City!

Mexico City
Race Results
June 14, 2025
NASCAR Xfinity Series

Pos | Driver

1. Daniel Suarez

2. Taylor Gray

3. Austin Hill

4. Christian Eckes

5. Connor Zilisch

6. William Swalich

7. Austin Green

8. Jeb Burton

9. Harrison Burton

10. Sammy Smith

11. Sheldon Creed

12. Dean Thompson

13. Daniel Dye

14. Ty Gibbs

15. Alex Labbe

16. Matt DiBenedetto

17. Kris Wright

18. Jesse Love

19. Carson Kvapil

20. Josh Williams

21. Anthony Alfredo

22. Thomas Annunziata

23. Sam Mayer

24. Josh Bilicki

25. Brandon Jones

26. Brad Perez

27. Blaine Perkins

28. Kyle Sieg

29. Ryan Sieg

30. Andres Perez

31. Nick Sanchez

32. Ryan Ellis

33. Sage Karam

34. Justin Allgaier

35. Parker Retzlaff

36. Jeremy Clements

37. Ruben Rovelo

38. Brennan Poole

39. Christopher Bell

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Point Standings

Pos | Driver | Wins | Points

1. Justin Allgaier
3 Wins

2. Austin Hill
3 Wins

3. Connor Zilisch
1 Win

4. Sammy Smith
1 Win

5. Jesse Love
1 Win

6. Brandon Jones
1 Win

7. Sam Mayer
+114

8. Sheldon Creed
+42

9. Carson Kvapil
+35

10. Jeb Burton
+23

11. Harrison Burton
+3

12. Taylor Gray
+0

— Playoff Cutline —

13. Ryan Sieg
-0

14. Nick Sanchez
-15

15. Daniel Dye
-44

16. Dean Thompson
-59

Mexico City
Video Highlights

Links

NASCAR

In all his high hopes and hard work over the last year to promote Nascar’s return to his home country of Mexico, even Daniel Suárez could not have imagined the amazing story of his dramatic win in Saturday’s The Chilango 150 – coming from last place on the grid in a backup car and charging to Victory Lane.

After victory spinouts, the 33-year old from Monterrey, Mexico, climbed out of his No 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, stood on the car’s roof, pounded his chest and pointed upward to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez grandstands – shouting to the thrilled crowd in his native Spanish and thanking his loyal fans for their support.

“It’s everything I was looking for, just a special day,” said an emotional Suárez, the 2016 Nascar Xfinity Series champion, who led a race-best 19 of the race’s 65 laps and beat Taylor Gray to the checkered flag by .598 seconds in a backup car the team rebuilt after he crashed in the morning qualifying session.

“It’s a very special day to be here in front of my people, all these people that have supported me for many, many years and known me since my Nascar Mexico days. Now I’m fighting with the big boys,” said Suárez, who was forced to use the “international provisional” starting position after his incident in qualifying.

Even after diligently working his way through the 37-car field, Suárez had to earn this win by every definition. The Nascar Cup Series full-timer went door to door with Gray on a restart with three laps remaining, ultimately pulling away – only to have to fend off a fast-approaching Gray again on the final stretch of the last lap.

Suárez first took the lead Saturday in similarly dramatic fashion, prevailing on a three-wide restart with 19 laps remaining.

He emerged out front after going head-to-head with the race’s early leaders, rookie Connor Zilisch and fellow Nascar Cup Series regular Ty Gibbs. The polesitter Zilisch, who led 17 laps, wheel-hopped taking the opening corner of a crowded restart, spun and then hit his JR Motorsports teammate Carson Kvapil as the pileup behind began.

Gibbs, who led 18 laps, moved forward from the initial contact then made contact with Kvapil’s Chevy on the next turn. The ensuing pileup affected 13 cars to varying degrees.

Suárez drove through the melee, drawing a massive cheer from the crowd. The Mexican fans stood on their feet, arms raised, Mexican flags in the air.

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill finished third, Kaulig Racing’s Christian Eckes was fourth and Zilisch recovered to finish fifth in another of the day’s more remarkable efforts.

After that incident with 17 laps remaining, Zilisch fell back to 28th place with damage to the right side of his Chevy, only to move through the field at a remarkable pace – up 14 positions in the three laps after the restart. He was in 10th place with 10 laps to go, finishing among the top five.

“I’m proud of my team for their effort,” said Zilisch, who leaned against his car alone on pit road, obviously disappointed with the outcome after such a strong afternoon.

“Obviously the finish isn’t what we wanted. We probably had a better car than fifth place, but we got caught up in an incident on that last restart. Just proud to be able to come here and get a decent finish.

William Sawalich, Austin Green, Jeb Burton and his cousin, Harrison Burton, and Sammy Smith rounded out the top 10.

There were seven lead changes among six drivers, with Kvapil winning the first stage and Smith winning stage two.

Nascar Xfinity Series championship leader Justin Allgaier had to take his No 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet behind the wall for repairs before the end of the first stage, ultimately settling for a 34th-place finish, 15 laps down to the winner. Fortunately for the reigning series champion, he held a 92-point advantage over Hill atop the points standings heading into Mexico City. He now leads by 54 points.

NASCAR and Riverhead Raceway have postponed this Saturday’s scheduled NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event one day to Sunday as a forecast for inclement weather impacts the area.

The race will now begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 15.

Earlier this week, NASCAR released the next set of 10 drivers included in the 40 greatest NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers, selected based on their accomplishments on the Tour beginning in 1985.

On that list is four-time Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, who sits second on the all-time wins list at 45. Bonsignore will be racing at this home track this weekend, which was also the site of his first career Tour win.

Also on the list is the namesake of this weekend’s race, Steve Park, who finished second in the Tour standings twice before making the jump to race for Dale Earnhardt in the No. 1 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The rest of the names added to the list this week are well known to fans in New York, and especially at Riverhead. The list is rounded out by Mike Ewanitsko, Wayne Anderson, Charlie Jarzombek, Timmy Solomito, Eric Goodale, Todd Szegedy, “Tiger” Tom Baldwin, and Mike McLaughlin.

For updated event information as available, fans may go to nascar.com/regional.

NASCAR PR