A driver in the NASCAR Mexico Series died Saturday after an accident in the closing laps of the series's race at Autodromo Miguel E. Abed.

The 2004 NASCAR Mexico Series champion, Carlos Pardo, was leading the race in the closing laps before he crashed following contact with another competitor. Pardo was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

"Carlos Pardo was a tremendous competitor and person," Chad Little, Director of Racing Development for the NASCAR Mexico Series, said. "On behalf of everybody in the NASCAR family, our thoughts and prayers go out to Carlos' family and friends."

Pardo started in 74 career races, earning 10 wins. He also has six starts in the NASCAR Camping World Series East, from 2004-2005, and started the 2006 Nationwide Series event in Mexico City.

The NASCAR Mexico Series, known as the Corona Series in Mexico, was formed in 2004 and is a joint-partnership with NASCAR. NASCAR sanctions one other foreign series in Canada, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.