Shane van Gisbergen secured a commanding victory at the NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico City on June 15, driving his #88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. This win marked the second of his Cup career and effectively guarantees his spot in the 2025 NASCAR playoffs. The race was notable as the first points event held outside the United States since 1958.
Van Gisbergen, a native of New Zealand, led 60 of the 100 laps in Sunday’s race, further establishing his strength on road courses. Although he entered the race 33rd in the points standings, his dominant performance allowed him to climb three positions and qualify for the postseason as a full-time Cup driver for the first time, having previously won at the Chicago street course while racing part-time.
Positive Fan Response Highlights Excitement Surrounding Mexico City Debut
The NASCAR community widely praised the inaugural Mexico City Cup race, marking it as a historic event for the series and the sport as a whole. Motorsports writer Jeff Gluck, known for his coverage at The Athletic, conducted a fan poll on social media’s X platform to measure reactions to Sunday’s contest. According to the poll results shared on Wednesday, 73.5 percent of voters felt the race was entertaining.
“Was Mexico City a good race? 73.5% of you said Yes. — Ranks No. 7 of 20 Next Gen road course/street races,” Jeff Gluck wrote.
While this ranking did not place the Mexico City race at the very top among NextGen road course events, it demonstrated strong approval from motorsports followers. Gluck also expressed admiration for the atmosphere created by local fans, whose enthusiasm stood out compared to other NASCAR events.
“Still can’t get over how enthusiastic the fans were there. It was just so different than other NASCAR races I’ve been to.”
Historic Implications and the Return to U.S. Racing
The race weekend held significance beyond van Gisbergen’s win, as it represented NASCAR’s return to international competition with a points-paying Cup race outside the United States for the first time in more than six decades. The location also carried emotional weight, being the home country of Daniel Suarez, who had won the Xfinity Series race held the day prior at the same track.
Looking ahead, the NASCAR Cup Series will resume this Sunday, June 22, at Pocono Raceway for the seventeenth race of the 2025 season. With only ten races left in the regular season, van Gisbergen’s breakthrough victory in Mexico City positions him well for a playoff run and underscores the growing global reach and appeal of NASCAR.