NXS Race Recap: The Chilango 150

¡Viva Mexico City! Host of The Chilango 150 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez had a 2.42-mile and 15-turn layout. Connor Zilisch was the fastest in qualifying, so he started the race on pole. Ty Gibbs joined him on the front row. Christopher Bell and Carson Kvapil started on the second row. Daniel Suarez wrecked his car in qualifying, so he had to go to a backup car and start last. The stage lengths were 20 laps for the first and second stages, with the final stage at 25 laps.

¡Vamos!

Zilisch got a fantastic jump at the drop of the green flag. Gibbs drove alongside him into turn one and took the lead out of turn two. Kvapil got into the back of Zilisch and got some slight damage, but was okay. Zilisch used the long front stretch to get back into the lead. Gibbs shoved him out of the way and into the grass to take back the spot. Bell took the second spot with Zilisch off the track. Zilisch got pushed back to fifth.

Sam Mayer brought out the first caution after he wheel-hopped his car into the wall. He was able to drive away, but not without damage. They cleaned up the track and restarted with 14 to go in the stage. Suarez found himself in the top 25.

Bell and Gibbs brought the field back to green. Gibbs got through turns one, two, and three in the lead. Zilisch drove his way back onto the podium. He caught the back of Bell in second. He, once again, used the long front stretch to make the pass and take second. Zilisch and Bell closed the gap to Gibbs to both challenge for the lead.

As the intensity for the stage win was getting hotter, Bell lost his rear end and got turned around in turn 14. He was able to get back going and settled back in eighth. Justin Allgaier made an emergency pit stop after complaining of transmission issues.

Pit Stops and Stage Flipping

Bell and Suarez made their pit stops with three to go in the stage. Suarez could not get out of his pit stall because of Dean Thompson blocking his exit. Gibbs and Zilisch pit with two to go to flip the stage. Zilisch had a quicker stop and took the lead off of pit road.

Carson Kvapil assumed the lead and was over two seconds ahead of Taylor Gray and Jesse Love. They fought for second as they ended the stage. Kvapil was able to drive to the green checkered flag and win the stage. Gray finished the stage in second with Love behind him.

Trouble for Bell

Zilisch and Gibbs brought the green back out. Zilisch got the better jump with a great push by Bell. Bell was able to get by Gibbs for second. Suarez, who restarted in seventh, bulldogged his way into third. Gibbs did not let him go and challenged Suarez for the third spot. Gibbs took the spot after crossing Suarez over in turns one, two, and three.

Kris Wright got turned around with some help from Austin Green. Austin Hill also had an issue and got a flat right front. He was able to limp his car to the pits.

Suarez fell to fourth after Bell made the pass. Zilisch pulled away by over three seconds from Gibbs in second. Bell had to drive to the pits after smoke began pouring from his car. He did not make it to his pit and stopped right before the pit boxes. Zilisch and Gibbs pitted to, again, flip the stage. Bell still sat in his car.

Zilisch was able to get out of the pits in front again. Gibbs did not give up, though. He fought Zilisch all the way to turn one. Side by side, they exited pit road and drove to the turn. Zilisch did get out in front for ninth.

Bell was able to get out of his car.

Sammy Smith assumed the lead when Zilisch and Gibbs pitted. He was able to win stage two!

Big Pile Up

Zilisch and Gibbs restarted the race out front. Suarez used a great restart to take it three wide. They raced side by side into turn one. Zilisch got turned around after getting onto the turn one curb. William Sawalich was there and made contact with Zilisch. That caused a pile-up. Suarez and Gibbs were able to get by that, but then Gibbs made contact with Kvapil, and they went into the wall. Parker Retzlaff, then, ran into the back of Gibbs. That all brought out another caution.

Suarez was out front when all of that transpired. Christian Eckes wound up in second.

They restarted the race on the front row. Taylor Gray and Harrison Burton restarted on the second row. Suarez got a huge jump and took the lead into turn one. He quickly built a lead of over a second. Gray rode the rear bumper of Eckes. Gray fought lap after lap to pass for second and was finally able to make the pass.

Austin Hill jumped on the podium after passing Eckes for third.

The Final Shootout

Jesse Love brought out the next caution after spinning into turn 14. He suffered heavy damage to the right front and limped it around with smoke billowing out.

Suarez and Gray brought the field back to green. Suarez got the better jump and held onto the lead into turn one. Gray did not let him get away easily. Suarez was shoved off the track in turn two. Gray jumped on the slower Suarez. Suarez kept his lead and pulled away from Gray by almost a second.

Zilisch fought with his beat-up car for positions. He passed Eckes but was immediately passed back for third. That allowed Hill to pass Zilisch for fourth. Then, Zilisch fell to fifth.

The crowd continued to go nuts as they saw Suarez still out front. Suarez took the white flag in the lead. He drove the lap of a lifetime and held off a hard-charging Gray. ¡Vamos Daniel Suarez! He got the win in The Chilango 150! Gray, Hill, Eckes, and Zilisch rounded out the top five.

Marvin’s Moment:

What a drive from the back to the front for Daniel. He fought all day, beating and banging on his home soil. He showed what he is capable of in a racecar. Zilisch also impressed as he kept getting damage to his car, but it did not slow him down. What a great return to Mexico City for the Xfinity Series. The series will continue next week in Pocono!