NASCAR News: Van Gisbergen takes Cup field to school in Mexico City

Shane van Gisbergen, a road racer by trade, took the entire NASCAR Cup field to school Sunday to capture the NASCAR Cup Series victory at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.

Van Gisbergen — who wheeled his No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet to the Mexico City pole and battled sickness during Sunday’s race — tallied his first win of the 2025 Cup Series campaign and second in his career.

The Auckland, New Zealand, native won the inaugural contest on the Chicago Street Course in 2023 in what was his debut race in NASCAR.

Christopher Bell finished runner-up. Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and Michael McDowell rounded out the top five. John Hunter Nemechek, Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer, William Byron and Chris Buescher completed the top 10.

Ty Gibbs, who led the second-most laps in the race (27) behind van Gisbergen’s 60, finished 11th.

Kyle Busch, who was involved in a multicar incident on Lap 7, finished 37th. Three-time 2025 winner Kyle Larson, additionally involved in the wreck, scored a 36th-place finish and compiled the Xfinity Fastest Lap.

Related Article: NASCAR News: Van Gisbergen wins Cup pole in Mexico City

Shane Van Gisbergen

Welcome to the playoffs, Shane Van Gisbergen! You told me yesterday a win fixes our year, but you’ve faced so much adversity this entire weekend when you think about it, the travel issues, not feeling well before the race, and then the rain today. What was the biggest challenge?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: You listed them all, man. What a week. I’ve really enjoyed myself here. I felt pretty rubbish today leaking out both holes. That wasn’t fun. Thank you to SafetyCulture, Trackhouse, Chevy, and ECR engines. Our car was amazing. I think the 54 was close, but that last stint, man, what a pleasure just ripping lap after lap and watching them get smaller in the mirror. Unreal.

I’ve never heard a driver stop telling me to slow down. Was this the best race car you’ve ever sat in?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: It’s certainly up there. I’ve been privileged to have some great ones in my time, but when I go slow I just lose concentration, so I was trying to stay in a rhythm and a routine, and Josh and Stephen are doing such a great job keeping me calm and focused, and man, that was epic.

We were hanging out this morning and you were texting your good friend Max Verstappen. Your talent was clear today, but did he give you any tips that wound up helping?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: Yeah, a little bit in the wet. Just what lines to take and how to approach it. Yeah, what a guy. I don’t know how he went today, but hopefully he went well, and hopefully I get this thing over the fence.

Mexico City Race Results