HICKORY, N.C. — Wherever Eloy Falcón competes, a smile hardly ever leaves his face.

That trait was prevalent Saturday at Hickory Motor Speedway for a good reason; it marked Falcón’s return to the United States after spending the first half of the year racing in his home country of Mexico. A NASCAR Drive for Diversity program alum, Falcón teamed with MCM Racing Development at Hickory with the goal of making a strong impression in his return stateside.

The night brought mixed emotions. Falcón was fastest in final practice for the Late Model Stock feature and qualified on pole, but his race ended after 50 laps due to a broken hub. Falcón was expectedly disappointed with such an outcome, yet he still found plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

Through all the highs and lows of Saturday, Falcón considered his first U.S. outing of 2026 a success.

“I’m really grateful to be back in the seat with a new team,” Falcón said. “I gained a lot of experience today. Obviously it was a frustrating ending for us. At the beginning, something [felt] weird on the car. It was out of our hands, but I’m really happy with all the effort the team [did] during the weekend. We had a pretty solid day.”

What started Falcón’s journey toward NASCAR was a Christmas present he received from his family at 5 years old: a go-kart.

The family began entering Falcón in events around Mexico once he had acquired enough practice. The success he enjoyed garnered plenty of attention, which led to an opportunity to contest the FIA-sanctioned F4 Spanish Championship in 2020.

The time Falcón spent in Europe did not yield the results he wanted, so he returned to his home country the following season to focus on the Mikel’s Truck Series, a key part of the developmental ladder in Mexico. Falcón’s first campaign in the Mikel’s Truck Series was a successful one that saw him record four top-five finishes.

One year later, Falcón was the Mikel’s Truck Series champion. Two victories and just one finish outside the top 10 were enough for the points lead, which helped him progress into the NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series full-time in 2023.

The Challenge Series sharing the track with the premier NASCAR Mexico Series was beneficial for Falcón in numerous regards. It gave him a chance to go up against some of the best drivers from his country and take away lessons that helped him chase a Challenge Series championship.

Just like in the Mikel’s Truck Series, a quiet-but-successful rookie season for Falcón in the Challenge Series translated to a title campaign the following year that saw him earn five victories, including a sweep of the final three events.

Falcón has leaned on several NASCAR Mexico Series alums throughout his journey. They include Rubén García Jr. and his current driving coach Rogelio López, both of whom are series champions who have also won in the ARCA Menards Series East. Their advice on competing in the U.S. guided Falcón as he started competing in the country more frequently.

“There is a lot of talent in Mexico, and there is a lot of good drivers,” Falcón said. “We run hard down there. All the experience [López and García] gave me was valuable for me. They helped me understand how the air works, how to run on [big tracks] and how to learn the differences [in the] cars and also the tires.”

Like García before him, Falcón found a pathway to the U.S. through Drive for Diversity, which he first applied for during his Mikel’s Truck Series title campaign. Falcón’s performance in the Drive for Diversity combine earned him a spot on Rev Racing’s roster for 2023, when he competed in Legends cars while balancing his commitments in Mexico.

The list of graduates from Drive for Diversity includes Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez and Nick Sanchez, so Falcón understood the expectations placed upon him. Being embedded with Rev Racing made Falcón understand why there so many successful Drive for Diversity alums. Every part of the program encouraged growth.

“They helped me a lot to develop my abilities,” Falcón said. “On the program, they prepared me [physically and mentally], but we also had a [driver’s coach] with a lot of experience in Mark Green. All the crew chiefs, all the mechanics and all the experience they have, they gave me all the knowledge, and I worked really hard all those years.

“It was pretty, pretty good years learning all the stuff.”

Falcón’s final year with Drive for Diversity in 2025 was his most adventurous. After spending a couple years progressing through Legends and into Late Model Stocks, Falcón embarked on a part-time season across the ARCA Menards Series platform with Rev Racing.

The first race could not have gone any better. In the second event of the East Series season at Rockingham Speedway, Falcón climbed from 10^th in a 26-car field to finish third behind William Sawalich and race-winner Brent Crews.

In his three other starts, Falcón completed all but two laps and secured two top-10 finishes at Michigan International Speedway and Iowa Speedway. Falcón was brimming with confidence by the end of the year, eager to continue his American odyssey and start competing for victories on a regular basis.

Yet change was on the horizon for Falcón in a way he did not expect. He was left without an ARCA ride at the start of 2026 when Rev Racing ceased operations, forcing him to shift his focus back to Mexico for the time being.

Patience and persistence led Falcón to Max Calles, who established MCM Racing Development in the early 2020s with the goal of helping foreign-born drivers adjust to racing on American soil. While he wishes the circumstances were different, Calles is cherishing the chance to help develop Falcón as he resumes his quest to find sustainability in the U.S.

“It’s very sad that [Rev Racing] went away, because it built a lot of good drivers,” Calles said. “We’re not trying to be them, but we want to try and help the people who were around that and see how we can help them continue their careers. [Falcón] adapted quick, and I love having him around. He is from Mexico like I am, so it’s really cool to have this relationship.”

During MCM Racing Development’s lifespan, the program has fielded late models and Legends cars for drivers who hail from countries like Mexico, Brazil, Spain and others. Calles expanded his organization’s reach into the ARCA platform this season with Toro Rodriguez contesting races at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and Hickory.

Ahead of Saturday’s late model race, Falcón worked closely with Calles all week to ensure their No. 38 could reach its best possible performance. Both had experience at Hickory on which to rely, but Falcón felt the communication he shared with Calles was their biggest strength and translated to their early success.

Once the green flag waved, Falcón’s fortunes changed. After jumping the initial start, he began losing positions rapidly as he tried to find pace in his car while simultaneously managing his tires on Hickory’s abrasive surface. The broken hub in the feature’s closing moments prevented Falcón from regaining any lost ground.

Falcón knew his first race on U.S. soil in months was going to be both physical and mentally demanding at a track like Hickory. Saturday did not go in his favor, but Falcón is eager to build upon the strengths and weaknesses from the weekend so he can tackle his next Late Model Stock race with confidence.

“I need to learn more,” Falcón said. “I’m going to watch [a replay of] the race. I couldn’t run as I wanted, but [Hickory] is a track where you need a lot of laps. We’re going to take all this information home, and [Calles and I] are going to work together to make a faster car.”

Two additional races are planned for Falcón in Calles’ Late Model Stock in July, but there could be room for more events if the funding materializes. If everything goes the way Calles envisions, he believes Falcón could end up driving MCM Racing Development’s ARCA Menards Series car before the year ends.

Calles is taking everything with Falcón one step at a time. He knows Falcón has the talent to thrive in the U.S., so Calles wants to fulfill his role by providing Falcón everything he needs to take that next step forward.

“The main thing now is to get [Falcón] noticed in the U.S. again,” Calles said. “He is still trying to chase his career in the U.S., [so] hopefully we can win with him on this level and see if we can get some funding for him. We have a strong program in ARCA, and I feel like he can be a very good asset.”

Even though Falcón is just now returning to the U.S., he is by no means having a quiet year. Falcón broke through for his first NASCAR Mexico Series victory at Aeropuerto Internacional De Telum in April, defeating many of the same drivers he once idolized.

Mexico’s proud tradition of motorsports regularly carries over to the U.S. through drivers like Daniel Suárez, who in May became the first Mexican-born driver to win the Coca-Cola 600. Falcón is determined to continue that tradition and hopes his debut outing with MCM Racing Development restarts the momentum he enjoyed in the U.S. last year.

Falcón’s first stint in the ARCA Menards Series provided a preview. Now he wants to experience the euphoria of turning laps around the U.S.’s most prestigious tracks once again, something he believes is close to becoming a reality.

“At the beginning of last year, I made the test at Daytona, and it was like being in Disneyland,” Falcón said. “I was so happy to make this race. [It’s] still alive, that dream that I have. I want to be back on the wheel at good tracks and with good drivers. We’re going to work really hard, try to be [successful] and look for that win.

“When some doors close, others open. I think this is a new beginning, and I need to work really hard.”

A lot of unknowns await Falcón after Hickory. He still needs to find sponsorship and can do that by showing consistency across his planned starts with MCM Racing Development. Yet Falcón understands the best way to create clarity about his future is to win, something he has done plenty of times between the U.S. and Mexico.

No matter where Falcón’s racing journey takes him next, one thing is certain: He will have a smile on his face.