RELATED: Full race results | Updated series standings
LAS VEGAS -- Daniel Suarez experienced a first in his XFINITY Series career, and it wasn't a win. But the Drive for Diversity product snagged the points standings lead from Elliott Sadler after finishing second to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch in Saturday's Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
This is the first time Suarez has led in the XFINITY standings. In fact, it's the first time a driver born outside the United States has been a series points leader, according to NASCAR statistical services. However, his position atop the standings is not weighing too heavy on his mind.
"I think it's too early, we're just three races into the season and with the new Chase format anything can happen," Suarez said. "You need to win a race to be safe and lock yourself into the Chase."
This is the first season of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase playoffs, similar to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. XFINITY drivers compete in an elimination-style format that begins with 12 eligible drivers at Kentucky in September and is whittled down to four for the final race of the season at Homestead. A win practically guarantees a driver's position in the Chase, but runner-up finishes go a long way, too.
RELATED: Chase format explained
"We have to keep working because someone else out there is still faster than us," Suarez said. "And it's good because it's our teammate (Kyle Busch) and we know he has the same stuff that we do.
"We need to keep working to be consistent ... we need to keep working to get more speed and try to win a race to be more comfortable."
Now it's all about maintaining his lead, finding more speed and seeking out that first win, which could come just as early as next week at Phoenix International Raceway, where the No. 19 driver has a best finish of fourth last season.
Suarez has shown speed since the 2016 season started, with a eighth-place finish at Daytona and a seventh-place finish at Atlanta. The 24-year-old's second-place finish on Saturday was his best showing since Bristol Motor Speedway in April of 2015, when he was a runner-up to Joey Logano.