Racing needed a stoppage-time winner from Mauricio Affonso to maintain their Uruguayan Primera Division lead on Sunday.
Affonso struck in the 92nd minute at Rampla Juniors as Racing came from behind to seal a 2-1 Apertura win in Montevideo.
The win kept Racing one point ahead of Nacional, who had veteran Alvaro Recoba score from a corner in their 2-0 home success against an out-of-form Wanderers.
Rampla Juniors took the lead in unusual circumstances as Bruno Barreto a third-minute substitute for Maximiliano Arias netted the opener.
Barreto s 12th-minute strike was cancelled out by Juan Pablo Rodriguez just before the half-hour mark but it looked like both sides would have to settle for a point.
And that would have represented a great result for a Rampla side who have recently found form and moved away from the bottom of the league.
But Affonso introduced with 15 minutes to play ensured Mauricio Larriera s side would take all three points on their travels.
Racing are unbeaten this season, having won six of their seven matches.
Nacional remain hot on Racing s heels after their fourth triumph in a row a win highlighted by Recoba s stunning 44th-minute opener.
The 38-year-old star who was at Inter from 1997 to 2008 curled in directly from a corner, with his set-piece sailing over Wanderers goalkeeper Federico Cristoforo and in via the far post.
Recoba also scored from a corner for Nacional in 2012.
Carlos de Pena got Nacional s second in their win on Saturday as they kept a clean sheet for the third match in a row.
Penarol sit third four points off the pace but remain unbeaten after a 3-1 success against River Plate.
Both sides finished with 10 men but Jonathan Rodriguez s double and a Sergio Orteman penalty helped Penarol end a run of three successive draws.
At the other end of the table, rock-bottom Cerro are still without a win after a goalless draw against El Tanque Sisley.
Defensor Sporting made it three wins on the trot with a 4-1 triumph at Tacuarembo Matias Alonso scoring twice.
Elsewhere, lowly Atenas won 3-0 at Rentistas and Sud America beat Juventud 3-1, while Fenix and Danubio played out a 0-0 stalemate.
