Shane van Gisbergen, in his rookie full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, secured a significant victory at the Viva Mexico 250, NASCAR’s first points-paying Cup Series race outside the United States in the modern era, held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. This win marked his second career Cup Series triumph, having previously won the inaugural Chicago Street Race in 2023.

Van Gisbergen, a three-time Australian Supercars champion before transitioning to American stock car racing, drove the #88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing Team. Known for his expertise on road courses, he started the race from pole position and maintained a top-five position for most of the event. He dominated by winning Stage 2 and led 60 of the 100 laps, including the final 32, ultimately winning by a commanding margin of 16.567 seconds over Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell—the largest margin of victory in the Cup Series since 2009.

The race was marked by challenging weather conditions, including an early rain shower that suited Van Gisbergen’s skill on wet surfaces, a factor that also contributed to his previous win in Chicago. Despite feeling unwell and dealing with travel delays that caused his crew to arrive late, Van Gisbergen praised his car’s performance, especially in the final stint, where he was able to pull away from the field comfortably. He expressed gratitude to his sponsors and team on social media, noting the car was “unreal” in the last stint and reflected on watching competitors “get smaller in the mirror”.

This victory secured Van Gisbergen an automatic berth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, a remarkable turnaround given his average performance earlier in the season, where he was ranked 33rd with only one top-10 finish in the first 15 races. His win added a new dynamic to the playoff picture, joining his Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain in contention for the title. Meanwhile, Mexico native Daniel Suárez, also from Trackhouse Racing, was the only other driver from the team to have secured a playoff spot at that time.

The event was emotionally significant for the local fans, who passionately supported Suárez, the previous day’s NASCAR Xfinity Series winner. Suárez finished 19th in the Cup race and expressed mixed feelings about his performance but praised the overall experience and fan support in Mexico City.

Van Gisbergen also credited advice from his friend and fellow Red Bull-sponsored racer, Formula One champion Max Verstappen, a five-time Mexico City F1 race winner, who provided tips on braking zones and racing lines. Van Gisbergen celebrated his win uniquely by kicking a rugby ball into the grandstand, much to the delight of the fans.

Notable moments from the race included a post-race confrontation on pit road between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carson Hocevar, stemming from a prior incident at Nashville, though the exact cause of the confrontation during this event was unclear. Stenhouse finished 27th, and Hocevar 34th.

Additionally, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, who missed the Mexico race due to the birth of his son, had earlier warned about Van Gisbergen’s potential to disrupt the playoff landscape despite his inconsistent results, comparing the situation to Harrison Burton’s surprise playoff appearance the previous year. Ryan Truex replaced Hamlin in the #11 Toyota for the race, finishing 23rd.

The next NASCAR Cup Series race was scheduled for June 22 at Pocono Raceway, with the playoff picture now including Van Gisbergen as a strong contender following his impressive performance in Mexico.