Two Mexicans to compete in NASCAR Xfinity Series in Mexico City

Two Mexican drivers will share the grid in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held on home soil. Daniel Suárez and Andrés Pérez de Lara will headline "The Chilango 150" on June 14th at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, marking a historic moment for Mexican motorsports.

Suárez returns to Xfinity

Monterrey native Daniel Suárez, 33, returns to the series where he won the championship in 2016. The only Mexican winner in NASCAR Cup Series will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports with sponsorship from Quaker State, taking advantage of a weekend where he'll also compete in Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing on Sunday.

Suárez comes off two Cup Series wins (Sonoma 2022 and Atlanta 2024) and hasn't raced in Xfinity since Chicago 2024. His return to the series where he made history as the first foreign-born champion in a NASCAR national series adds special significance to the Mexican event.

"I've dreamed of racing in my home country every single day since I left Mexico to pursue my NASCAR dream in 2011," said Suárez, who was born in Monterrey and moved to the United States as a teenager to develop his career.

Photo By Carlos Castillo

Pérez de Lara debuts as hometown representative

Andrés Pérez de Lara, 20-year-old Mexico City native, will make his official NASCAR Xfinity Series debut literally at home. The young driver, currently competing full-time in Truck Series with Spire Motorsports, will use a gap in his schedule to participate in this historic race.

Pérez de Lara brings an impressive resume for his age: 2024 ARCA Menards Series champion (first driver born outside the U.S. to achieve this), two-time NASCAR Mexico series champion, and graduate of the Drive for Diversity program. He'll compete with DGM Racing, a Florida-based team operated by Mario and Michelle Gosselin.

Return to Mexico

The NASCAR Xfinity Series hasn't visited Mexico since 2008, when it raced at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez between 2005 and 2008. The 2.42-mile, 15-turn circuit, remodeled in 2015, honors the memory of racing brothers Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez and has hosted eight Formula 1 races.

With this event, Pérez de Lara joins the exclusive group of Mexicans who have competed in NASCAR national series on home soil, alongside Adrián Fernández, Jorge Goeters, and Michel Jourdain. However, the simultaneous presence of two Mexican drivers in this Xfinity Series race on national territory represents a special moment for local motorsports.

Photo By Carlos Castillo

The generational significance of the event

The age difference between both drivers (13 years) also represents a generational meeting. Suárez, a veteran with experience in all three NASCAR national series, will share the track with Pérez de Lara, who symbolizes the new generation of Mexican drivers trained in both local categories and the American development system.