The Trackhouse Racing driver will race for a championship despite being currently ranked outside the top 30 in the points standings.

No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports driver battles through back pain to score a top five at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Suarez, who appeared to be blinking back tears as he sang along with the Mexican national anthem in pre-race ceremonies, desperately wanted the home win in this contract year with Trackhouse. He was the face of this event as NASCAR ventured outside the U.S. with its top series for the first time since 1958.

Daniel Suarez became the first Mexican driver to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series on home soil and while he had hoped for better than his 19th-place finish in Sunday's inaugural Viva Mexico 250 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez he said the experience had left him craving more.

Here's where seeding projections stand for the In-Season Challenge after the Cup Series' inaugural race in Mexico City.

SportsLine simulated the 2025 Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez 10,000 times. Use its projected leaderboard for NASCAR prop picks at sites like PrizePicks, DraftKings and FanDuel.