All it took was two international drivers and one international circuit to make the historic weekend one of the best. To all fans who were praying for Daniel Suarez’s win, the prayer has finally been answered, albeit in the Xfinity Series. Daniel’s mega drive, parking JR Motorsport’s No. 9 at Victory Lane, was one for the books. And his Cup Series teammate, Shane Van Gisbergen’s 60-lap domination in the Cup Series race, was equally unforgettable.
Overall, it was a great weekend for racing fans, and Trackhouse Racing left with a happy Mexican and a jubilant Kiwi in their camps. As celebrations and congratulations were in order, fans and fellow drivers were very happy for the duo. However, a former HMS crew chief was stunned by the heartwarming, passionate environment surrounding the hometown hero’s win on Saturday.
Daniel Suarez’s move that ignited a roar
Suarez’s victory marked a milestone: the first Xfinity win by a Mexican-born driver on home soil, and marked his fourth career Xfinity triumph. He turned the Chilango 150 into a storybook finish at the circuit after crashing his qualifying car and lining up 39th in a backup JRM Chevrolet. Suarez charged forward and led a race-high 19 of 65 laps. He crossed the line just 0.598 seconds ahead of Taylor Gray. As Suarez flipped for joy and thanked the crowd in Spanish, the stadium erupted. And Steve Letarte was all for it. The former HMS crew chief captured the moment perfectly from the Prime broadcast booth.
Steve went on to recall, ” I’ll never forget the moment Daniel Suarez took the lead, the caution came out, and he rolled through the stadium behind us. I was over in the booth watching it, and I heard the roar, and that was the moment that I learned that sports goes across cultures and nations and borders; it doesn’t matter, it’s universal for everyone. And this fan base loved their driver, and it was so exciting to hear as a fan. We all have our favorite teams or drivers. He was so loved, and it made the whole week so worth it being here.”
The moment Letarte is referring to is when Ty Gibbs and Connor Zilisch tangled with each other whilst fighting for the lead in stage 3 and ended up causing a wreck. And through this carnage emerged Daniel Suarez with the lead. It was a moment that Mexico City will never forget, and Suarez even recalled the sheer atmosphere at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez when he took the lead. Suarez said, “When I took the lead, I was able to hear the people like they were right here, especially not just in the stadium. The stadium was huge, but also in corner number one and two, and three. It was unbelievable.”
The crowd when Daniel Suarez took the lead briefly today sums up how electric the fans were in Mexico City. @SportsonPrime pic.twitter.com/2jfsX8eXQM
— Steve Letarte (@SteveLetarte) June 15, 2025
Celebration after his Xfinity win was pure electricity. Fireworks, waving flags, and chants of “Daniel! Daniel!” echoed through the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Coming into Sunday, the Monterrey native had momentum, pride, and pressure. Even though his car didn’t quite match the speed of the Saturday rocket, Suarez wore the colors of his country proudly and gave his own fans a weekend to remember.
On Sunday, Daniel Suarez once again made history as the first Mexican driver to race in the NASCAR Cup Series in Mexico City, and even if the result wasn’t pitch-perfect, the moment certainly was. Finishing 19th wasn’t what he dreamed of, but the energy in the air and the grandstands made it unforgettable. “We wanted to battle for the win, yet it didn’t happen. However, I’m pretty happy for everything about this weekend—the people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, and the energy,” Suarez said post-race.
Interestingly, the storylines in the Trackhouse racing garage couldn’t have been more different. While Suarez hustled through traffic and changing conditions to push and finish mid-pack, his teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, snatched the lead after getting tips from none other than Max Verstappen himself. As F1 has more experience on the Mexico circuit, it was easier for Max to help the NASCAR drivers out. However, Suarez wasn’t rattled.
With this result, Suarez not only solidified his playoff push but also galvanized NASCAR International’s strategy. “Hopefully we’ll improve enough in the next 10 weeks to make it into the playoffs, and hopefully I’ll be back next year here with my people,” he added. However, things weren’t that smooth sailing for another Trackhouse driver.
Ross Chastain gets under Chase Briscoe’s skin
Tempers flared south of the border as Chase Briscoe and Ross Chastain recited one of NASCAR’s most chaotic rivalries in the heart of Mexico City. Battling inside the top 10 within the tight and tricky Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, two drivers did not just trade positions—they traded paint. The flashpoint came during a race restart when Chastain muscled into Briscoe’s space with a door slam. Briscoe eventually clawed his way back into striking distance, only to find himself on the receiving end of what he believed was a retaliation.
Chase Briscoe did not hold back in a post-race interview, saying, “It’s just kind of how he races, I guess. He just tried to spin me out. On that original restart, he door slammed me, and then I finally caught back up to him after 10 or so laps. I barely got into him, and he tried to spin me out. Typical.” However, the Joe Gibbs racing driver turned in a strong showing and climbed back to finish seventh, and picked up 30 stage points overall. Meanwhile, Ross Chastain matched that points tally with a worse finish.
Though he was involved in the heated incident, he didn’t take damage and finished 16th. However, he showed great pace by finishing third in Stage 2 and earned a total of 30 points on Sunday. With ten races left in the regular season, Chastain finds himself comfortably in the eighth position in the driver standings, with five playoff points, while having already secured his playoff berth with the Coca-Cola 600 win. But with such aggressive driving, one can expect more clashes in the future with fellow drivers if the Watermelon Man does not keep calm.
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