Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was a quintessential storybook sporting event. 

In front of a partial home crowd, 33-year-old Daniel Suarez of Monterrey, Mexico, held off a snarling pack to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Mexico City. 

The crowd roared as Suarez, who had to start at the rear of the field after a crash in qualifying, charged to the front and held the lead after a crash took out leaders Ty Gibbs and Connor Zilisch in the final stage. 

An opportunistic Suarez was unable to drive away from runner-up Taylor Gray, but his beaten and battered No. 9 Chevrolet had just enough speed in it to hold on, granting Suarez his fourth Xfinity Series victory. 

Suarez saluted the crowd seated in the track’s stadium section and on the frontstretch with a customary burnout before smashing a piñata and celebrating with his wife. 

“It’s a very special day,” Suarez told CW Sports.