Mexico triumphs at home in NASCAR with epic performance by Daniel Suárez

The Mecca of Mexican motorsports , the Hermanos Rodríguez racetrack, vibrated with the consolidation of a new national hero: Daniel Suárez.

The Monterrey native fulfilled one of his greatest dreams by winning the Xfinity Series race this Saturday, the penultimate day of NASCAR Mexico City Weekend 2025, and celebrating in front of Mexican fans at this venue. What's more, he did it with a truly epic feat, both in terms of how it began and how it ended.

Suárez started Saturday with a fourth-place finish in practice for the Xfinity Series, a competition considered a "second division" compared to the Cup Series, the most prestigious and oldest in the NASCAR world.

But in qualifying, he suffered a painful crash, which was painful for him and all the fans, as he crashed at Turn 11 and couldn't finish. This put him in the difficult position of starting 39th in the race a few hours later.

“The same thing happened with 'Checo' ,” lamented some fans, recalling what they felt in October 2023 when Sergio Pérez , who was the only Mexican Formula 1 driver, crashed just on the first lap of the Mexican Grand Prix and had to retire to the fury of the local stands.

“I think successful people follow the same rules in sports as they do in life. What happened today is a great example, because many people would have focused on that (the crash). It's very important to understand how it all happened. I knew I couldn't do anything about it except turn the page and work,” Suárez reflected during the post-match press conference.

“Hollywood couldn’t have written a better script,” wrote the prestigious Sports Illustrated magazine regarding Daniel Suárez’s triumph.

His starting car was rendered unusable after the qualifying crash, and there were two yellow flag stoppages during the race. Despite this, the 33-year-old Monterrey native overcame the obstacles and inscribed his name in gold.

“This means a lot to me. Honestly, today's victory is as big as the championship; it's something very special. After the game, I told my wife that when they put my back against the wall, I'm going to come back fighting. That's why it makes it taste even better.”

Suárez is referring to the title he won in the 2016 Xfinity Series season, when he also made history by becoming the first non-American driver to win a NASCAR national championship series.

In the days leading up to Mexico City Weekend 2025, he reiterated his desire to win in Mexico. He did so with authority, becoming the first driver in NASCAR Xfinity Series history to start a race from the back of the grid and win. In total, he led 19 of the 65 laps.

In other numbers: It was his first Xfinity Series race win since November 19, 2016, his first at a Nascar event in Mexico since 2008, and he easily surpassed the best result by a Mexican in the Xfinity Series at the Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack, which was Jorge Goeters' seventh place in 2007.

“Many know where I come from and what it took me to get here. The fire I carry inside is due to the sacrifices my mom, dad, and sisters had to make. My journey has been completely different, perhaps, from that of 99% of other pilots in the world. I've had to work hard, and I've said this lately: if I hadn't had it so hard, I wouldn't have been here, because all those moments made me a bigger fighter,” the Monterrey native emphasized.

The race was titled The Chilango 150 and finished in two hours and 16 minutes. The Mexican drove the number 9 car for the JR Motorsports team, leaving Taylor Gray (0.598 seconds behind) and Austin Hill (4.452) in second place.

Daniel Suárez celebrated with a piñata, hugging his wife Julia Piquet and some of the key men in his formation (Jimmy Morales and Carlos Slim Domit), before shouting effusively: "Viva México, cabrones!" in front of the stands of the GNP Seguros stadium, which were around 70% full.

Going for the double

The Mexican will have the opportunity to further his feat this Sunday, June 15, at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Mexico City Weekend with the main race: the NASCAR Cup Series.

Representing Trackhouse Racing , he will start from tenth on the grid after qualifying this Saturday, before becoming the Xfinity Series winner.

He'll try to win a NASCAR Cup Series race for the first time since February 2024, fueled by a victory nearly 24 hours earlier. While he says it gave him motivation, he knows he'll have to turn the page.

“Tomorrow I have to reset my mind. Today I'm going to have dinner, relax, take a nice bath, and tomorrow is a different story, starting with a different plan. What I can say is that I feel more comfortable in my Cup car, and we were able to win with the Xfinity car, but there are many things to consider,” he emphasized with a huge smile.

The Cup Series pole sitter was New Zealander Shane Van Gisbergen, also a member of the Trackhouse Racing team. Ross Chastain, another of Daniel Suárez's teammates, will start from third place.

"I'm confident to go out tomorrow and enjoy myself and have fun. My goal wasn't to win the race today, but rather to maximize my performance, but fortunately, the victory was achieved," Suárez concluded.