Daniel Suárez Goes From Last to First, Wins The Chilango 150

Daniel Suárez emerged triumphant in Saturday’s The Chilango 150 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez. (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

MEXICO CITY  — In all his hopes and hard work over the past year to promote NASCAR’s return to his home country of Mexico, Daniel Suárez did what seemed the impossible in Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series The Chilango 150 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — starting from last place in a backup car to Victory Lane.

The driver of the No. 9 Quaker State Chevrolet Camaro, fielded by JR Motorsports, took an international provisional starting spot for Saturday’s race due to a hard crash sustained in qualifying. This put the team in a frenzy frantic to get the backup car ready in time for the 65-lap event.

As the field took the green around the 15-turn, 2.429-mile road course for the first time since 2008, the front row starters of Connor Zilisch and Ty Gibbs battled aggressively for the lead. Zilisch found himself off track while battling Gibbs, giving way to Zilisch’s teammate, Carson Kvapil, to fight for the race lead.

After an early caution for Sam Mayer, finding himself in the tire barriers out of Turn 11, Christopher Bell and Sammy Smith found themselves in contention for the race lead with Gibbs.

Kvapil found his way back to the front after staying out when the leaders came into the pit with three laps to go in the opening 20-lap stage, giving way for Kvapil to collect his first stage win in his XFINITY Series career.

Stage 2 saw the dominant day for JR Motorsports continue on the track as Smith took the lead late in Stage 2 to pick up the victory, setting up for a close fight to decide the winner in Mexico City.

During the caution break, Christopher Bell’s hopes of claiming victory, after coming back from an early spin, came to a derailing halt as his motor expired coming onto pit road, relegating the Cup Series phenom to a 39th place finish.

As the field got back to green flag conditions, Suárez drove to the lead as a huge stackup collected multiple top contenders like Gibbs, Smith, Kvapil, and Parker Retzlaff with the latter getting the worse of the incident, destroying the front end of his No. 4 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet.

Daniel Suárez staved off challenges from Taylor Gray to win Saturday’s The Chilango 150. (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Suárez had to survive one final restart with four laps to go as he held off a late charge from Taylor Gray, cruising to a fan favorite win.

“The entire week and up to now. It has exceeded every single expectation that I have had. It has been a dream,” Suárez said in a post race interview. “I’m just enjoying. I’m like a kid on Christmas. That’s why you guys see me with a smile.”

Gray, who netted his second runner-up finish of 2025, clawed through the field the entire day, navigating around other mistakes of other drivers.

“Just sucked, right?” Gray said. “To come so close and I feel like have the car capable of winning, and I don’t know, I’m mad, frustrated, sad, all of it at the same time, but it was a good points day overall for us.”

Austin Hill, Christian Eckes, and Zilisch were the top five finishers with William Sawalich, Austin Green, Jeb Burton, Harrison Burton, and Smith rounding out the top 10.

As the playoff bubble intensifies, so does the NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule as the tour takes on the “Tricky Triangle” otherwise known as Pocono Raceway next Saturday for the Explore The Pocono Mountains 225.

Stage 1 Top 10 Results

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

Stage 2 Top 10 Results

1. Sammy Smith
2. Tanner Gray (R)
3. Sheldon Creed
4. Brandon Jones
5. Christian Eckes (R)
6. Daniel Dye (R)
7. Dean Thompson (R)
8. Nick Sanchez (R)
9. Connor Zilisch (R)
10. Ty Gibbs (i)

The Chilango 150 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Official Race Results

Daniel Suárez celebrates a popular triumph. (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)