In a stunning performance at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Shane Van Gisbergen claimed a decisive victory in the NASCAR Cup Series, leading a commanding 55 laps en route to one of the most dominant wins in modern Cup Series history. The New Zealand native crossed the finish line an incredible 16.567 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell, marking the widest margin of victory in a Cup Series race since 2009, and the largest on a road course since 1979.
A Masterclass in Road Course Racing
Van Gisbergen, piloting the No. 88 Chevrolet, started from pole and quickly asserted control over the 2.674-mile Mexico City road course. With precision driving and near-flawless pit strategy, he maintained an average speed of 74.154 mph, spending 88 of 100 laps in the top five. His fastest lap—clocked at 93.824 seconds—came early in the race on Lap 30.
This marks Van Gisbergen’s second career Cup win, adding to his historic inaugural victory at the Chicago Street Race in 2023. Remarkably, he becomes the first driver since Marvin Porter (1957–1960) to win his first two Cup races at inaugural events.
Race Recap: Cautions, Chaos, and Comebacks
The 100-lap event was action-packed, with six cautions covering 16 laps, 14 lead changes, and dramatic battles throughout the field.
-
Christopher Bell, starting 31st in the No. 20 Toyota, delivered a stellar comeback to finish second, having led four laps and navigating several on-track incidents.
-
Chase Elliott brought his No. 9 Chevrolet home in third after a strong late-race push, having started 12th.
Early on, Ty Gibbs emerged as a formidable contender, leading 26 laps and temporarily seizing control following a key pit stop sequence at Lap 65. However, a final green-flag run allowed Van Gisbergen to regain the lead and never look back.
Multiple on-track incidents shuffled the field:
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Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun in the stadium section with under 10 laps to go.
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Riley Herbst and William Byron tangled near Turn 11, resulting in a close call with Stenhouse.
-
Austin Dillon spun after contact with Joey Logano, triggering a chain reaction involving Josh Berry.
Despite the mayhem, Van Gisbergen maintained composure and focus, especially in the critical final stage, which he led uninterrupted after Lap 52.
Key Race Highlights
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Stage 1 Winner: Ryan Preece
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Stage 2 Winner: Shane Van Gisbergen
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Lead Changes: 14 among 8 different drivers
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Cautions: 6
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Top Average Running Position: Van Gisbergen (2.7)
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Fastest Lap: Van Gisbergen – 93.824s (92.855 mph)
A Historic Moment
Van Gisbergen’s win is not only a personal milestone but a significant historical benchmark for the series. His 16.567-second margin is the largest since Kurt Busch’s 25.686-second win at Texas in 2009, and the largest on a road course since Darrell Waltrip’s Riverside triumph in 1979.
With broadcasts on Prime Video, MRN, SiriusXM, and MAX, and a packed crowd at Mexico City’s famed Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, NASCAR’s international expansion continues to thrive.
As the checkered flag waved, Van Gisbergen celebrated in Victory Lane, the undisputed class of the field—and a name fans should get used to hearing.
Mexico NASCAR Cup Series Results
June 15, 2025
|
POSITION
|
START
|
LED
|
BEHIND
|
PTS
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
S. Van Gisbergen #88
|
1
|
60
|
Winner
|
–
|
|
2 |
C. Bell #20
|
31
|
4
|
16.567
|
–
|
|
3 |
C. Elliott #9
|
12
|
0
|
20.635
|
–
|
|
4 |
A. Bowman #48
|
29
|
0
|
25.242
|
–
|
|
5 |
M. McDowell #71
|
5
|
2
|
27.619
|
–
|
|
6 |
J. Nemechek #42
|
32
|
0
|
30.125
|
–
|
|
7 |
C. Briscoe #19
|
19
|
0
|
33.291
|
–
|
|
8 |
C. Custer #41
|
26
|
0
|
35.754
|
–
|
|
9 |
W. Byron #24
|
27
|
1
|
36.562
|
–
|
|
10 |
C. Buescher #17
|
16
|
1
|
38.551
|
–
|
|
11 |
T. Gibbs #54
|
4
|
27
|
40.792
|
–
|
|
12 |
B. Wallace #23
|
25
|
0
|
42.604
|
–
|
|
13 |
A. Allmendinger #16
|
8
|
0
|
42.779
|
–
|
|
14 |
R. Blaney #12
|
18
|
0
|
44.628
|
–
|
|
15 |
R. Preece #60
|
2
|
4
|
46.168
|
–
|
|
16 |
R. Chastain #1
|
3
|
0
|
47.083
|
–
|
|
17 |
E. Jones #43
|
14
|
0
|
47.443
|
–
|
|
18 |
A. Cindric #2
|
20
|
1
|
51.111
|
–
|
|
19 |
D. Suárez #99
|
10
|
0
|
52.075
|
–
|
|
20 |
T. Reddick #45
|
22
|
0
|
52.284
|
–
|
|
21 |
J. Logano #22
|
9
|
0
|
52.648
|
–
|
|
22 |
T. Gilliland #34
|
7
|
0
|
55.621
|
–
|
|
23 |
R. Truex #11
|
36
|
0
|
55.814
|
–
|
|
24 |
J. Haley #7
|
17
|
0
|
56.801
|
–
|
|
25 |
B. Keselowski #6
|
30
|
0
|
57.235
|
–
|
|
26 |
J. Berry #21
|
13
|
0
|
1:07.669
|
–
|
|
27 |
R. Stenhouse Jr #47
|
33
|
0
|
1:14.459
|
–
|
|
28 |
A. Dillon #3
|
21
|
0
|
1:24.951
|
–
|
|
29 |
R. Herbst #35
|
15
|
0
|
1:26.770
|
–
|
|
30 |
N. Gragson #4
|
35
|
0
|
1:29.291
|
–
|
|
31 |
C. Ware #51
|
34
|
0
|
1:40.588
|
–
|
|
32 |
K. Legge #78
|
37
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
–
|
|
33 |
T. Dillon #10
|
28
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
–
|
|
34 |
C. Hocevar #77
|
23
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
–
|
|
35 |
Z. Smith #38
|
24
|
0
|
24 Laps
|
–
|
|
36 |
K. Larson #5
|
6
|
0
|
42 Laps
|
–
|
|
37 |
K. Busch #8
|
11
|
0
|
94 Laps
|
–
|
