Daniel Suarez wins Mexico City Xfinity race after starting last

A last-place start and a backup racecar couldn’t deny Daniel Suarez a victory Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Suarez led the final 19 laps at the Mexico City road course en route to his fourth career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory.

“Les gustó? Se la pasadó bien?” Suarez asked the crowd in Spanish during his post-race victory interview with CW Sports, translating to “Did you like it? Did you have a good time?”

Suarez said the win in front of his home county’s crowd was special because of the support they have shown him since his NASCAR Mexico days.

“The guys worked extremely hard to get this car ready,” Suarez said. “The car wasn’t supposed to be a winner today, and look at where we’re at right now.

“It’s been a special day, I can’t wait enjoy it a little bit and do it again tomorrow.”

Suarez, racing the JR Motorsports No. 9 entry, started 39th (last) after a Turn 11 crash in qualifying rendered his primary car damaged beyond repair.

Unlike the original primary paint scheme with a green-and-yellow paint scheme, the backup car was a solid black with sponsor Quaker State’s logos.

The victory was his first in the series since his championship-winning season in 2016, breaking a 20-race winless streak.

In second was rookie Taylor Gray, posting a career-high finish for the second time in four weeks.

“To come so close and I feel like have the car capable of winning, and I don’t know – I’m mad, frustrated, sad, all of it at the same time, but it was a good points day overall for us,” Gray said. “I can’t thank everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing enough.”

Austin Hill, Christian Eckes, and Connor Zilisch — who one the pole, led 17 laps, and came back from a Stage 3 crash — rounded out the Top-5 finishers.