Alex de Alba wins the 2025 NASCAR Mexico championship in Puebla

Alex de Alba won the 2025 NASCAR Mexico championship at the Miguel E. Abed Autodrome on November 9th. Diego Ortiz took the Challenge Series title. The final featured two red flags, multiple accidents, and unsportsmanlike contact that decided both championships.

Massive First-Lap Accident Eliminates Vecchi from Title Fight

A guest gave the green flag signal instead of a NASCAR official. The flag was waved irregularly, causing confusion among the leaders who did not accelerate at the right moment. The cars further back did accelerate, creating a pileup that involved Alonso Salinas, Giancarlo Vecchi, Rodrigo Maggio, Esteban Rodríguez, and Gustavo Barrales on the first lap.

Allowing a guest to wave the start flag is common practice in multiple motorsport categories. However, in a race that decides championships, the lack of proper instruction resulted in direct consequences. The incorrect signal generated uneven reactions in the pack, eliminating Vecchi from the Challenge Series title fight.

Helio Meza was penalized for not accelerating in time and sent to the rear of the field. Meza had recorded the overall best time on Saturday, beating all drivers from both categories. Salinas and Vecchi required repairs in the pits. The first red flag stopped the race to clean up spilled fluids.

Photo By Nascar México Series

De Alba Penalized

Alex de Alba faced a crisis when he entered the pits with the pit lane closed. The penalty sent him to the back of the pack, forcing him to recover positions amidst constant interruptions.

De Alba had qualified fifth. Julio Rejón started fourth, Max Gutiérrez tenth, and Germán Quiroga second. Rubén García Jr., the outgoing champion who started third, had been eliminated in the first round of playoffs in Querétaro.

Photo By Media Aga Racing Team

Quiroga's Engine Blows on Lap 74

Germán Quiroga saw his campaign end on lap 74 when his engine exploded. The failure of the number 69 car spilled oil onto the oval surface, causing Rubén García Jr. to hit the wall.

The three-time champion had led several laps and arrived as a favorite after miraculously winning in Aguascalientes to qualify for the final. Quiroga had previously won at this oval. He had lost positions in the laps preceding the terminal failure, unaware that the engine was at its limit.

Zanella Jr. Destroys Section of Wall on Lap 87

Santos Zanella Jr. hit the retaining wall on lap 87. The number 52 car destroyed a section of the structure, requiring 30 minutes of repairs. The accident eliminated Zanella Jr., leaving only Helio Meza and Diego Ortiz fighting for the Challenge Series.

On lap 94, Santiago Tovar was hit into the inside wall. One of the support vehicles responding to the incident hit the wall, endangering the crashed driver and other safety personnel. The incident represents a serious safety protocol failure that could have had severe consequences.

NASCAR Mexico shortened the race distance and set up a green-white-checkered finish. The decision led to multiple restart attempts.

Multi-Car Accident on Final Lap Decides Championship

The white flag had come out when a multi-car accident occurred. Julio Rejón got caught up in the incident while positioned to be the top finisher. Alex de Alba avoided contact and reached the finish line with Max Gutiérrez attempting to spin him out on the final straight, an unsportsmanlike maneuver.

De Alba finished fourth but was the highest-placed of the championship finalists. Rubén Rovelo won the race overall, followed by Eloy Falcón and Xavi Razo.

De Alba Makes History with Title in Three Categories

Alex de Alba was crowned champion after a season in which he also won the Regular Season title. He becomes the first driver to win championships in all three NASCAR Mexico categories: Trucks, Challenge Series, and now the premier series.

The achievement confirms his progression within the NASCAR Mexico system and positions him as one of the most complete figures in national motorsport. De Alba had to overcome the penalty for an illegal pit entry and fight back from the rear of the pack.

Photo By Media Aga Racing Team

Ortiz Closes Season with Six Victories

Diego Ortiz was crowned Challenge Series champion after a season with six victories and nine podiums. Ortiz finished seventh overall.

"It was a very complicated race, full of contacts and difficult situations, but we managed to maintain concentration," explained Ortiz. "Throughout the year we faced many challenges, technical problems, and moments when everything seemed to get complicated, but the team never gave up."

Helio Meza finished ninth overall and second in the Challenge Series, losing the championship despite having taken pole on Saturday with the best time across both categories.

Photo By Nascar México Series

Playoff Format Generates High-Risk Finals

The multiple accidents and deliberate contacts in the Puebla final expose a growing problem in NASCAR Mexico. The playoff races have become demolition derbies where the champion is the one who survives best, not necessarily the one who competes best.

The November 9th race included severe accidents that could have resulted in serious injuries. Normalizing this type of finale as "very NASCAR" ignores the fact that not even in NASCAR in the United States are such actions observed with such frequency. The current playoff format incentivizes desperate behaviors that compromise the safety of all participants.