Van Gisbergen Dominates NASCAR Cup Series Debut in Mexico City
Shane van Gisbergen claimed victory at the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, solidifying his spot in the postseason after moving from outside the top 30 in points. Starting from pole, van Gisbergen led for 60 of the 100 laps, finishing 16.5 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell.
Reflecting on his performance, van Gisbergen remarked, “What a week; I’ve really enjoyed myself here… Our car was amazing.”
The Australian driver regained the lead during a caution on lap 65, which allowed him to stay out on track while competitors pitted. Following the restart on lap 69, he quickly distanced himself from the field, with Chase Elliott finishing third and Alex Bowman fading to fourth. Michael McDowell rounded out the top five.
Race Highlights:
- First Stage: Ryan Preece secured the stage win, followed by Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain.
- Second Stage: Van Gisbergen claimed the second stage after Ty Gibbs, who led 27 laps, opted to pit before the stage’s conclusion.
- Cautions: The race was interrupted by six cautions, including an incident involving Kyle Busch on lap 7 that ended his day and impacted competitors like Kyle Larson and AJ Allmendinger.
Despite challenges, Gibbs finished 11th, while Preece—a contender for the lead—fell to 15th due to a pit lane infraction. Local favorite Daniel Suarez, who had won the Xfinity Series race the preceding day, finished 19th.
Final Standings:
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Christopher Bell
- Chase Elliott
- Alex Bowman
- Michael McDowell
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Chase Briscoe
- Cole Custer
- William Byron
- Chris Buescher
Van Gisbergen’s performance not only highlights his potential within NASCAR but also elevates the excitement surrounding the series’ expansion into new markets. The event featured 14 lead changes among eight drivers, showcasing a competitive race day.
