Carlos Novelo mathematically secured his spot in the Trucks México Series Chase by snatching the victory from Roberto Espinosa on the last lap of the seventh round, held at the Súper Óvalo Potosino. The Telmex driver, who started the white-flag lap in second, found a gap before the finish line and beat the local driver by 49 thousandths of a second to claim his third win of the season.
Photo By Trucks México Series
The weekend had started with the tightest qualifying of the season. Espinosa took pole with a 23.969-second lap, just 3 thousandths ahead of Jan Philipp Krüll and 12 ahead of Novelo himself, setting the stage for another chapter of a rivalry that has dragged on for six races since that last-lap crash in the season opener at this same track, which ended with Everardo Fonseca celebrating. The local driver arrived as championship leader with 283 points, 35 ahead of Novelo, and was looking to secure his Chase ticket in front of his home crowd.
The race was quickly shaped by the difficulty of passing on the half-mile oval, which turned strategy and tire management into key factors. The mandatory pit stop for tire changes cost Espinosa the lead, and Santiago Cruz moved to the front with a conservative plan. Novelo and the San Luis Potosí native returned to the top positions and closed the gap. Krüll's retirement due to a mechanical failure on lap 71 brought out a caution flag that stretched the finish to a final lap, where Espinosa defended the lead until Novelo attacked in the closing meters and passed him by 49 thousandths. The local driver had the victory just one corner away.
Santiago Cruz finished third, two tenths back, followed by Sebastián Rodríguez, Sol Díaz, and Edwin Arenas. Gael Aguilar, Valeria Aranda, Rafael Maggio, and Rodrigo Maggio rounded out the top ten. Krüll and Fonseca, the other two winners this year, retired.
Photo By Trucks México Series
Novelo's third celebration extends a duel with Espinosa that has defined the championship: six of the seven rounds have featured one of the two among the top three or in a direct fight for the lead. Espinosa came back from 17th to win in Aguascalientes and responded in Querétaro with another runner-up finish behind Krüll. Novelo won in Chiapas and Tulum, added another podium finish in Querétaro, and now adds a new celebration on the same oval that was already the scene of their first head-to-head battle.
The fight for the last Chase spots
There is one round left before the Trucks México Series Chase and the margins leave no room for error. Krüll arrived in San Luis Potosí one step away from the qualified group, but the retirement leaves him with no margin for error. What seemed like a boost after his first victory in Querétaro turned into a setback that forces him to play all his options in Puebla on August 22 and 23, where the last postseason spots will be handed out. Novelo already has his. Espinosa, despite the blow of losing the race on the last corner, should also secure his pass without too many scares. The real fight is just behind, where several drivers arrive at the last round of the regular season without a single point to spare.
Trucks México - San Luis Potosí
| Pos | Nº | driver | team | class | time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #18 |  Carlos Novelo |
Bribonmi- Ingenieria Total- Yaoca | TM | - |
| 2 | #96 | Roberto Espinosa |
Mobil- Chick In- Mobilizate | TM | +0.049s |
| 3 | #26 | Santiago Cruz |
Alessandros Racing | TM | +0.207s |
| 4 | #9 | Sebastian Rodríguez (N) |
Dynamic Motorsports | TM | +1.133s |
| 5 | #17 | Sol Diaz |
Vida Divina | TM | +1.445s |
| 6 | #51 | Edwin Arenas |
Prime Sports | TM | +1.712s |
| 7 | #50 | Gael Aguilar (N) |
Car Motion | TM | +1.780s |
| 8 | #27 | Valeria Aranda |
Bizarro- Telecom | TM | +1.976s |
| 9 | #1 | Rafael Maggio |
Prime Sports | TM | +2.030s |
| 10 | #77 | Rodrigo Maggio |
Renn Team | TM | +3.220s |
| 11 | #5 | Victor Gama |
Salcedo Motorsport | TM | +3.710s |
| 12 | #16 | Enrique Guilbert (N) |
Prime Sports | TM | +15.114s |
| 13 | #25 | Jesús Ruíz |
Nucage Racing and Advertising | TM | +15.672s |
| 14 | #31 | Arturo Vazquez |
Gie Power-Jaea Motorsport | TM | +19.507s |
| 15 | #13 | Jassyr Salazar (N) |
Selvania- Bosques del Sur- Grand Mayan Tuxtla- La | TM | 1 vuelta |
| 16 | #46 | Daniel Beltran (N) |
Motul- Seltz- Anvi Motorsport | TM | 4 vueltas |
| 17 | #11 | Luis Goulart (N) |
Prime Sports | TM | 7 vueltas |
| 18 | #03 | Ricardo Elizondo |
Salcedo Motorsport | TM | 16 vueltas |
| 19 | #7 | Jan Krull |
Bizarro- Anvi Motorsports | TM | 29 vueltas |
| 20 | #94 | Everardo Fonseca |
Nucage Racing And Advertising | TM | 34 vueltas |
Upcoming Races
Drivers Standings 2026
| POS | PILOTO | PTS | ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roberto Espinosa | 283 | |
| 2 | Carlos Novelo | 248 | |
| 3 | Everardo Fonseca | 241 | |
| 4 | Valeria Aranda | 232 | |
| 5 | Santiago Cruz | 227 | |
| 6 | Edwin Arenas | 226 | |
| 7 | Sebastian Rodriguez (N) | 224 | |
| 8 | Rafael Maggio | 215 |
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