Regina Sirvent claims podium, Alexandra Mohnhaupt makes NASCAR Mexico debut

Regina Sirvent opened her 2026 NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series campaign with an impressive third-place finish at Super Óvalo Potosino, delivering a strong performance in a chaotic season opener that also featured the series debut of Alexandra Mohnhaupt.

Photo credits: NASCAR Mexico

Regina Sirvent opened her 2026 NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series campaign with an impressive third-place finish at Super Óvalo Potosino, delivering a strong performance in a chaotic season opener that also featured fellow female competitors Alexandra Mohnhaupt and Majo Rodríguez on the grid.

The first round of the new season marked an important moment for women competing in the championship, with three female drivers lining up: series regular Sirvent, newcomer Alexandra Mohnhaupt making her debut after stepping up from the Trucks Mexico Series where she finished as top rookie in 2025, and Majo Rodríguez committing to a full-season effort following part-time appearances in previous years.

Sirvent, 23, returned to the NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series after expanding her experience internationally in 2025, when she made her ARCA debut with three starts and two top-15 finishes. Back on familiar ground, where she previously achieved race wins and consistent front-running performances, the Mexican driver immediately showed competitive pace.

Sirvent started off with an excellent qualifying, securing fourth position among the Challenge class contenders. Mohnhaupt impressed in her category debut by qualifying 12th in class, while Rodríguez lined up just behind in 13th.

At the start, Sirvent quickly settled into fifth place in the Challenge category during the opening laps. However, the race was soon neutralized when overall leader Julio Rejón slowed down and came to a halt on track after just four laps, bringing out the first caution period. At that stage, Mohnhaupt and Rodríguez were running 12th and 13th in class respectively.

Racing resumed on lap 13 with a clean restart, though Sirvent briefly dropped to eighth in class while remaining inside the overall top 20. Behind her, Mohnhaupt and Rodríguez began to find their rhythm, circulating in 12th and 13th in class - 28th and 29th overall - as they focused on building consistency.

Sirvent soon regained momentum, improving her lap times and reclaiming a position to stabilize her race pace. As the race approached the 40-lap mark, Mohnhaupt continued to improve, running 13th in class with Rodríguez close behind in 14th when a second caution was triggered by Abraham Calderón spinning.

Photo credits: Miji team

The restart on lap 49 sparked intense midfield battles: Mohnhaupt capitalized immediately, climbing into ninth place and closing rapidly on Sirvent ahead, while Rodríguez maintained 13th.

Another caution followed after Mateo Girón spun, promoting both Sirvent and Mohnhaupt one position in class. During the subsequent pit cycle, several competitors stopped for fuel, but both Sirvent and Mohnhaupt elected to stay out, moving up to sixth and seventh in the Challenge standings.

On the lap 62 restart, Mohnhaupt became involved in contact with Diego Ortiz, who spun as a result. Despite the incident, Mohnhaupt escaped without major damage, while Sirvent had already advanced back into fourth place in class. Rodríguez continued a steady run in 13th.

A hectic restart shuffled positions again: Mohnhaupt dropped to 9th, and Sirvent briefly fell from fifth to 10th amid tight racing before immediately beginning another recovery charge.

At the conclusion of Stage 1 on lap 90, all three female drivers remained competitive, with Mohnhaupt ninth, Sirvent tenth, and Rodríguez 13th before the field headed to pit lane during the mid-race caution.

When racing resumed for Stage 2, incidents continued to shape the race. Challenge class front-runner Marco Vecchi became involved in contact that also eliminated Víctor Barrales, while Sirvent steadily climbed to sixth in class. Mohnhaupt held eighth, and Rodríguez enjoyed one of her strongest runs, reaching 10th while staying clear of trouble.

Mohnhaupt’s race unfortunately unraveled shortly afterward following a difficult restart. She lost positions, returned to pit lane, and eventually retired around lap 108 after encountering issues.

Sirvent, meanwhile, continued her forward momentum, moving into fifth in class as another caution was triggered when Germán Quiroga collided with Mateo Girón.

Demonstrating strong pace, Sirvent advanced to fourth and set a new personal best lap of 22.351 seconds, closing toward the overall top ten. She then engaged in a spirited battle with reigning champion Alex de Alba, successfully holding him behind for several laps.

Photo credits: NASCAR Mexico

Another yellow flag appeared on lap 137 when Eliud Treviño stopped on the back straight, compressing the field once more. Throughout the interruptions, Rodríguez maintained a composed and smart race, running consistently in ninth place and avoiding incidents.

On the lap 143 restart, Sirvent attacked aggressively from the outside line, moving into seventh amid extremely tight midfield racing. Ahead, a fierce battle for the Challenge class lead unfolded, but another incident, involving Emiliano Richards spinning after contact with Julio Rejón, triggered yet another caution period.

The neutralization allowed Sirvent to close back onto the leading group just as the race approached its time limit. When racing resumed for the final sprint, Sirvent pushed forward decisively, climbing into fourth before taking the white flag. In a dramatic final lap, she completed a remarkable recovery drive to claim third place at the finish line, securing a well-earned podium in the opening round of the season.

Behind her, Majo Rodríguez capped a solid and trouble-free performance with a seventh-place finish in the Challenge Series, maximizing opportunities through consistency and race awareness.

Sirvent’s podium result provides an excellent foundation for her 2026 championship campaign, reaffirming her as one of the category’s contenders in the Challenge Series. Mohnhaupt meanwhile showed promising pace on her debut weekend despite the unfortunate result.