MEXICO CITY — Shane van Gisbergen as soon as once more mastered a brand new monitor — this one the long-lasting Mexico Metropolis highway course — to win NASCAR’s first Cup Collection points-paying race outdoors the USA within the trendy period.
The New Zealander led 60 of 100 laps Sunday at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to earn his first Cup victory since he gained in his NASCAR debut on the inaugural 2023 road course race in Chicago. That victory modified his profession trajectory, and van Gisbergen left Australia V8 Supercars, the place he was a a number of champion, for a full-time transfer to NASCAR.
Though he had success within the Xfinity Collection — he gained three races final yr as Trackhouse Racing developed him for a Cup Collection experience — van Gisbergen has struggled this yr at NASCAR’s prime degree.
He began the race ranked thirty third within the Cup standings with just one top-10 end by way of the primary 15 races of the season. However his victory in Mexico Metropolis earned him an computerized berth into NASCAR’s playoffs with a shot to race for the Cup Collection championship.
Van Gisbergen benefitted from an early pop-up rain bathe on the primary lap of the race as a result of he is an exceptionally expert driver on a moist floor. His win at Chicago was in monsoon-like circumstances.
He gained the pole in Mexico Metropolis and began the race because the betting favourite, significantly since rain was within the forecast. He needed to take care of a number of challengers, Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing amongst them, however took the lead for good with 31 laps remaining.
Trackhouse now has two of its drivers — Ross Chastain and van Gisbergen — locked into the playoffs. But it surely was a little bit of a disappointment for Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey native who thrilled the hometown crowd with a win within the Xfinity Collection race on Saturday, as he did not problem his teammate for the win and completed nineteenth.
Suarez, who seemed to be blinking again tears as he sang together with the Mexican nationwide anthem in pre-race ceremonies, desperately needed the house win on this contract yr with Trackhouse. He was the face of this occasion as NASCAR ventured outdoors the U.S. with its prime sequence for the primary time since 1958.
Bell completed second in a Toyota for JGR — 16.567 seconds behind the winner. He was adopted by Chase Elliott in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Alex Bowman, who harm his again in a crash final week at Michigan, withstood the ache for a fourth-place end in his Hendrick Chevrolet.
Michael McDowell of Spire Motorsports was fifth and adopted by John Hunter Nemechek in a Toyota for Legacy Motor Membership. Chase Briscoe of JGR was seventh and adopted by Cole Custer for Haas Manufacturing unit because the highest-finishing Ford driver. William Byron of Hendrick was ninth and Chris Buescher of RFK Racing rounded out the highest 10.
Chevrolets took 5 of the top-10 positions, together with the victory.
Busch, who was ranked fifteenth within the Cup Collection standings when he arrived in Mexico Metropolis, blamed the incident on the moist monitor.
“Simply within the rain, and I went down into (Flip) 11 and obtained on the brakes fairly laborious, and all the pieces was positive, all the pieces was snug, stopped actually good,” he stated. “And I am like ‘OK I is usually a little extra aggressive entering into 1,’ and I figured it was going to be positive, and as quickly as I went to the brakes, it was like being on ice, and I used to be simply sliding.
“A couple of second a half or so, I used to be attempting to determine which course to go, and I used to be like I’ve obtained to show this factor round backward, as a result of I will nail some folks. Hate it for all these concerned in my mishap. I hate that the rain got here and now it is good and dry. Simply must go combat for extra factors in one other week.”
Why? As a result of he included each English and Spanish in his supply of probably the most well-known phrases in racing.
“Hola Mexico!” Gordon shouted. “Pilotos begin your engines!