By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
The NASCAR Xfinity Series marks its return to Mexico with Saturday afternoon’s The Chilango 150 (4:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The series has held four previous races at the famed Autodrome Hermanos Rodriquez – the last in 2008 won by Kyle Busch.
This is the second of seven road course races on the schedule. Series rookie, JR Motorsports’ Connor Zilisch won at Circuit of The Americas from pole position.
Reigning series champion, JR Motorsports Justin Allgaier earned his third win of the season in the series’ most recent race, two weeks ago at Nashville. It marks the fifth time in the last eight years, the veteran has scored at least three victories in a season. He holds a 92-point advantage in the championship standings over fellow three-race winner, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill.
The Illinois native has answered his first career title run with another top-shelf season in the No. 7 JRM Chevrolet. He leads all drivers in laps led (638) and top-10 finishes (10). He’s only eight top-10 finishes from 300 in his career – a feat never before accomplished in the series.
With 12 regular season races remaining and six Playoff spots still to be claimed, Mexico City certainly presents all the makings of an ultra-competitive weekend.
Sam Mayer and Ty Gibbs have the most road course wins (four) in this weekend’s field. Interestingly, nine of the series’ last 11 road course races have been won by just three drivers (Mayer, Shane Van Gisbergen and Zilisch). And Mayer, who is ranked third in the standings, is still looking for his first win of the year.
Gibbs (No. 19 Toyota) is among three NASCAR Cup Series regulars – also Suarez (No. 9 Chevy) and Christopher Bell (No. 24 Toyota) – racing Saturday. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie, Andres Perez De Lara will be making his Xfinity Series debut.
Kennametal Pole Qualifying is slated for 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday (CW App) and historically has proven very significant on road courses with the polesitter winning 10 of the last 18 road course races.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: The Chilango 150
The Place: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
Track Length: 2.42 Mile Asphalt Paved Road Course
The Date: Saturday, June 14
The Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $2,151,939
TV: CW, 4 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 157.3 miles (65 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 65)
Also check out NASCAR Xfinity Series News & Notes – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City for more information about the weekend’s Xfinty racing.
Where To Watch NASCAR This Weekend:
Friday, June 13
NCS Practice 1 (Amazon Prime at 1 p.m. ET)
NXS Practice 1 (CW App at 2 p.m. ET)
NCS Practice 2 (Amazon Prime at 3 p.m. ET)
NXS Practice 2 (CW App at 3:30 p.m. ET)
Saturday, June 14
NXS Kennametal Pole Qualifying (CW App at 10:30 a.m. ET)
NCS Busch Light Pole Qualifying (Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM at Noon ET)
NXS Race: The Chilango 150 (CW Network, MRN, SiriusXM at 4:30 p.m. ET)
Sunday, June 15
NCS Race: Viva Mexico 250 (Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM at 3 p.m. ET)