Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sends a message to Daniel Suarez after heroic home victory in Mexico City
Daniel Suarez's homecoming victory in Mexico City drew praise from fellow Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Suarez pulled off a stunning comeback during The Chilango 150 after starting from the rear of the field in a backup car.
Driving the No.9 Chevy for JR Motorsports, Suarez endured a disastrous qualifying that saw him crash head-first into the walls as he entered the stadium section of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. His Chevy sustained heavy damage that warranted a backup car, and consequently, he drew a penalty that dropped him dead last in the starting lineup.
Nonetheless, the Monterrey, Mexico native surged through the ranks and survived a multi-car wreck that took out the dominant drivers of the day, Connor Zilisch and Ty Gibbs. He secured the lead during the restart and held his place for 19 laps to cross the finish line.
Two-time Xfinity Series champion, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., took to X and shared his thoughts on the historic win.
"Dang so cool for @Daniel_SuarezG what a day, back up car, last to 1st in his home country. Pretty cool day for our sport of @NASCAR and him!!," he said.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is currently ranked 20th in the Driver's standings, eight spots ahead of Daniel Suarez. Both drivers are tied with a single top-5 result in the Cup Series season so far.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. dives into the high-altitude effects of the Mexico City race
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. joined Prime Video's pre-race broadcast to share his observations on the high-altitude effects of Mexico City during the practice sessions. The Hyak Motorsports driver reported a widespread overheating issue, possibly caused by the thin air that results in poor engine cooling.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodiguez is located around 7,500 feet above sea level, which can pose a challenge for the drivers as well, as they struggle to manage fatigue from decreased oxygen levels. Notably, Daniel Suarez came in early on Tuesday to start training for the same.
"Definitely, all the engine manufacturers are worried about overheating. Heard there were a few overheating issues throughout that practice session,” Stenhouse said via Slicksandsticks.com
He also discussed the unpredictable throttle response plaguing his #47 Ford.
"You’re so slow right here (the stadium section), but I feel like there is some time to be made up, so you are kind of hustling it. You go on the gas and there’s nothing there, and then all of a sudden it lights up, almost like a two-stroke dirty bike,” he said.
Notably, Christopher Bell suffered an engine failure during his stint in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday. His #24 Toyota Supra 'let go' while entering the stadium section and soon blew up smoke from the underbody. He had trouble qualifying for the Cup Series as well, placing 31st in a 37-car field. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is further behind at 33rd.