Shane van Gisbergen Wins in Historic Mexico City Cup Debut

In NASCAR's first ever points paying Cup Series race outside the United States in the modern era, Shane van Gisbergen etched his name into the record books once again, this time, as the winner of the inaugural Viva México 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

The Trackhouse Racing driver led 60 of the 100 laps en route to a commanding win on the technical Mexico City road course. The race was held under mixed conditions, with light rain forcing teams into a strategic guessing game that ultimately favored SVG’s road racing expertise.

Starting from pole, van Gisbergen made the most of a clean track early and controlled much of the first half. However, a mid race challenge from Christopher Bell saw the lead briefly change hands. SVG countered with a well timed move on lap 52 and never looked back.

“I’ve been looking forward to this event for months,” van Gisbergen said. “It’s an awesome place. It’s a proper track, you know. It’s got everything, high-speed, low-speed, technical corners, a big straight. It’s just so cool to bring NASCAR here.”

He also credited Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen for helping him prepare for the rain-affected conditions.

“I reached out to him earlier in the week, just asking some questions,” SVG added. “He gave me some good tips about how the surface handles in the wet. I think that helped me today, just staying disciplined with my lines.”

Behind him, Christopher Bell held on for second after leading a key portion of the middle stint. Chase Elliott came home third, continuing a string of strong road course performances for Hendrick Motorsports.

The local crowd came to life during the early stages of the race, when Mexican driver Daniel Suárez surged forward from 13th and cracked the top five by the end of stage one. A pit road speeding penalty and off-sequence strategy dropped him down the order late, and he finished 19th.

SVG’s win locks him into the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and adds another chapter to his remarkable transition from Supercars to stock cars. After debuting with a win on the streets of Chicago in 2023, Sunday’s result confirms that van Gisbergen remains one of the most capable road course drivers in the field.

Top Five Finishers:

1. Shane van Gisbergen – Trackhouse Racing

2. Christopher Bell – Joe Gibbs Racing

3. Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports

4. Tyler Reddick – 23XI Racing

5. Ross Chastain – Trackhouse Racing

With the success of the event and the passion of the Mexico City crowd, NASCAR may well have found a permanent home for future international Cup dates. For van Gisbergen and Trackhouse, the win sends a clear message, they’re ready to contend when it counts.