The stakes were high in Mexico City. After all, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was hosting its first Xfinity Series race since 2008, and as you’d probably expect, drivers were desperate to make their mark at the historic venue. The Chilango 150 featured 65-laps on the road course, with home track hero Daniel Suarez securing an emotional win in front of his home fans, clinching his first win in NASCAR’s second tier since 2016.
But there was plenty of drama south of the border, too. Connor Zilisch and Ty Gibbs were involved in a Stage 3 incident, which effectively ended their hopes of winning in Mexico City despite showcasing dominant performances.
Ty Gibbs remains upbeat despite the Zilisch incident
Ty Gibbs knew he had his work cut out for him in Mexico. Starting in 2nd place, just behind Connor Zilisch at the 2.42-mile, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was desperately hoping to secure his first race win of the season, even if it was in the Xfinity Series. However, his 18-year-old rival is no pushover, particularly on road courses, and a heated battle was on the cards. The two drivers went wheel-to-wheel on several occasions south of the border, with their melee in Stage 3 taking away a shot at victory.
Despite his 14th-place finish, Ty Gibbs appeared to be in good spirits. When asked by FOX’s Bob Pockrass about what he saw in the restart, the racer said, “Oh, I didn’t see much besides getting absolutely drilled the door. Hit the #9. I don’t know how he kept running. I got hit so hard in the door, took the wheel out of my hand. And I hit him, rammed him. Kind of fun time. Congrats to Daniel. Wish we could have been there to win it. I think we definitely were capable but got taken out. Had a fun time. Think that was a good race.”
The incident Gibbs is referring to is the fourth restart of the day coming into Turn 1. The No. 19 Toyota, along with Daniel Suarez’s No. 9 Chevy, were battling it out, while Zilisch was breathing down their necks. Hoping to make the pass, the rookie driver attempted to make it three wide, but there was simply not enough room for all of them to make the corner. What followed was complete chaos, as Zilisch’s No. 88 spun on the track, making contact with the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.
Ty Gibbs smiled but obviously had an opinion on the restart where he was in the middle of Zilisch and Suarez. pic.twitter.com/96ucLz5NPI
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 14, 2025
The impact from Zilisch’s vehicle led to somewhat of a chain reaction, with Ty Gibbs slamming into Suarez, who escaped unscathed. However, both drivers were forced to start at the back of the field, but the No. 88, despite suffering significant damage, went from 28th to eighth in just eight laps after the restart, eventually finishing 5th. As for Gibbs, the 22-year-old was forced to settle for a 14th-place finish in his first Xfinity Series start of the year.
Zilisch was frustrated after being spun out in Mexico
The race was Connor Zilisch’s to lose. The 18-year-old took control of the race in the middle stages and led the race to green for the start of the final stage with just 19 laps remaining. But everything changed when he tangled with Ty Gibbs on Lap 47, and the carnage that followed resulted in 13 cars being caught in the crossfire. It was a full-fledged melee, and the fact that both drivers managed to finish the race was a feat in itself.
Speaking afterwards, Connor Zilisch said, “I think everyone was kind of pinching down on the inside, and yeah, just hit Ty and ended both of our races. So yeah, it’s frustrating. I mean, I wish that didn’t happen, and if I could have just gotten a better push down the front straight, I think we would have been OK. But yeah, it’s tough being bottom three-wide into that first turn. It’s so tight with such a big brake zone, and you go in a little too hot, it ruins a lot of things.”
As for Ty Gibbs, he will look back on the race as a missed opportunity. He led 18 laps in Mexico City, second only to Daniel Suarez’s 19, and even crew chief Seth Chavka was disappointed with the outcome. He said, “I had high hopes that we’re gonna come out here; show up here with Ty Gibbs, we expect to win. So a little bummed we couldn’t get it done.” Joe Gibbs’ grandson doesn’t have time to feel sorry for himself, though. He’ll be back in action at the 2025 Viva Mexico 250 in the Cup Series, where he’ll hope to end his winless streak again.
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