Shane van Gisbergen once again demonstrated his mastery on a new track, this time at the iconic Mexico circuit, to win the first NASCAR Cup race with points outside the United States in the modern era. New Zealander driver led 60 of the 100 laps at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday, earning his first Cup victory since his NASCAR debut at the inaugural 2023 street race in Chicago. That victory changed his career trajectory, and van Gisbergen left Australia’s V8 Supercars, where he was a multiple champion, to compete full-time in NASCAR. Although he was successful in the Xfinity Series, winning three races last year while Trackhouse Racing prepared him to compete in the Cup, van Gisbergen has struggled this year at NASCAR’s top level. He started the race in 33rd place in the Cup standings with only one top 10 in the first 15 races of the season. However, his victory in Mexico City secured him an automatic spot in the NASCAR playoffs, with the opportunity to compete for the Cup championship. Van Gisbergen benefited from a sudden rain shower on the first lap of the race, as he is an exceptionally skilled driver on wet surfaces. His victory in Chicago was in conditions similar to a monsoon. He won the pole in Mexico City and started the race as the favorite, especially since rain was forecast. He had to face several contenders, including Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell from Joe Gibbs Racing, but took the lead definitively with 31 laps to go. Trackhouse now has two of its drivers, Ross Chastain and van Gisbergen, secured in the playoffs. However, it was a bit disappointing for Daniel Suárez, the Monterrey native who thrilled the local fans with a victory in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, as he was unable to challenge his teammate for the win and finished in 19th place. Suárez, who appeared to hold back tears while singing the Mexican national anthem in the pre-race ceremonies, desperately wanted the victory at home in this contract year with Trackhouse. He was the face of this event when NASCAR ventured outside the United States with its premier series for the first time since 1958. Bell finished second in a Toyota for JGR, 16.567 seconds behind the winner. He was followed by Chase Elliott in a Chevrolet from Hendrick Motorsports. Alex Bowman, who injured his back in an accident last week in Michigan, endured the pain to achieve a fourth-place finish in his Chevrolet from Hendrick. Michael McDowell of Spire Motorsports was fifth, followed by John Hunter Nemechek in a Toyota for Legacy Motor Club. Chase Briscoe of JGR was seventh, followed by Cole Custer of Haas Factory as the highest-ranked Ford driver. William Byron of Hendrick was ninth and Chris Buescher of RFK Racing completed the top 10. Chevrolet took five of the top ten positions, including the victory.
Bad day for Busch
Kyle Busch, who started the race at the bottom of the playoff standings, suffered a major setback when he crashed on lap six and finished last in the field of 37 cars. Busch, who was 15th in the Cup standings when he arrived in Mexico City, blamed the wet track for the incident. “It was in the rain, and I went into Turn 11 and braked hard, and everything was fine, everything was comfortable, it braked really well,” he said. “And I thought ‘OK, I can be a bit more aggressive going into 1’, and I thought it would be fine, and as soon as I braked, it was like being on ice, and I was just sliding.” “For about a second and a half, I was trying to decide which direction to go, and I thought I had to turn this back, because I’m going to hit some people. I’m sorry for everyone involved in my mishap. I’m sorry the rain came and now it’s nice and dry. I just have to fight for more points in another week.”Gordon Takes Command
Jeff Gordon, NASCAR Hall of Famer, was selected to give the command to the drivers to start their engines and admitted before the race that he had practiced. Why? Because he incorporated both English and Spanish into his pronunciation of the most famous words in motorsport.NASCAR competes next Sunday at Pocono Raceway, where Ryan Blaney won last year.Hello Mexico!
Jeff Gordon
