Gray Matches Xfinity Career Best With Mexico Runner-Up

Taylor Gray (54) finished a strong second at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Saturday. (Peter Casey/NKP for Toyota Racing photo)

MEXICO CITY – The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ return to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez served as a prime opportunity for Taylor Gray to extend his recent momentum, and he capitalized at the end of Saturday’s Chilango 150.

Gray tied his career-best mark with his second runner-up finish in the last month, and in doing so put together an impressive run with an average running position of fifth on the 2.42-mile, 15-turn road course.

He also finished second in both stages before ending the day second behind winner Daniel Suarez.

The Mexico City result comes on the back of an impressive run of results for Gray as of late, as he’s been inside the top five in three of the last six races.

It’s a surge that has propelled Gray up to a tie with Ryan Sieg for 12th in the point standings, the last remaining playoff spot. He was 16th prior to this six-race stretch. Over the last six rounds, Gray boasts an average finish of 12.5, which is among the best in the series during that span.

Gray’s prior runner-up came at Texas Motor Speedway, and he led a lap for the sixth Xfinity Series race this year, though he didn’t quite have enough to get to Suarez in the closing laps after escaping a multi-car melee on the lap-47 restart that opened the final stage.

Being so close to his maiden win – again – was an emotional moment for Gray after the race.

“I’m mad, frustrated, sad, all of it at the same time,” said Gray about his mentality in the moment. Just sucks – to come so close and I feel like have the car capable of winning at the end, but it was a good points day overall for us.

“I can’t thank everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing enough, they brought me a really fast Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra … just going to take this momentum and keep it rolling.”

Gray’s average finish on the year improved to 16.9 and sits right at 18.0 over his 28 career starts.

Though Joe Gibbs Racing is a prestigious NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and ARCA Menards Series team, with more than 200 wins across those divisions, their Xfinity program has struggled to find results recently.

In the last six races, they’ve only managed four total top-five finishes, with Gray’s three and the lone other one coming from Cup Series rookie Riley Herbst.

Gray will look to follow up Mexico with another top five in the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway.

Broadcast coverage airs Saturday, June 21 at 3:30 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.