How Shane van Gisbergen Broke Barriers to Win the Viva Mexico 250

Shane van Gisbergen may only be in his third year in the NASCAR Circuit, but he sure didn’t let it show on Sunday in the Viva Mexico 250 in Mexico City. The New Zealander, known more readily by his initials “SVG,” started from the pole and continued his dominance at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, notching 60 of the race’s 100 laps and securing the win for Trackhouse Racing.

The long-awaited win South of the Border is the first of the 2025 Cup Series season for van Gisbergen, who has had a less-than-fortunate season. So far this season, the Trackhouse Racing driver has had an average start of 27.9 and an average finish of 23.75, with 3 DNFs, a single top-five finish, and two top-ten finishes. That’s quite impressive, considering he has only completed 86.33% laps out of 16 races thus far. Mexico City was no exception.

He handled the 15-turn road course flawlessly despite encountering various roadblocks leading up to the race, including rain delays, an unexpected illness, and travel delays before qualifying. As the No. 88 driver suited up for Saturday qualifying, he was preparing to go it alone, but just in the nick of time, his crew arrived with 20 minutes to spare.

Shane van Gisbergen Earns Second Career Pole

Shane van Gisbergen undoubtedly shook things up Saturday during qualifying for the Viva Mexico 250, clocking the fastest lap time out of the field of 37 at 92.776 seconds at 93.904 mph. The moment was huge for the Trackhouse Star, who notched his second career pole in the Cup Series and his first of 2025, but the momentum wouldn’t stop there.

As drivers were given the command to start engines, van Gisbergen knew that the 2.42-mile track in front of him was about to be owned by not only himself, but the field outstretched behind him. After all, it was the first race across international borders for NASCAR in 1958, so there’s no doubt there was added pressure to perform from all angles. Teammate Daniel Suarez set an enormous precedent the day before winning the Xfinity Series Chilango 150 in his home country.

Therefore, Shane van Gisbergen knew that the stakes were high, and he had to perform well, no questions asked. He led 60 laps at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday, but were the race’s six cautions the answers to his prayers? It seemed likely, considering that at each new caution, he ensured his tires were in tip-top shape and that he refueled each time, allowing him to assert dominance on the track.

The Charge for the Lead

Shane van Gisbergen performed well throughout the Viva Mexico 250, beating Joe Gibbs’ Christopher Bell, who clocked 16.567 seconds behind him to secure the P2 spot, followed by Chase Elliott (P3), Alex Bowman (P4), and Michael McDowell to round out the top five. John Hunter Nemechek (P6), Chase Briscoe (P7), Cole Custer (P8), William Byron (P9), and Chris Buescher (P10) to cap the top ten.

Even though it appeared that van Gisbergen handled his charge on the track effortlessly, the tension was evident. At the lap 50 restart, Christopher Bell hard-charged to the outside, leaving the No. 88 driver in the dust, but not for long. At lap 52, Shane van Gisbergen answered Bell’s charge by reclaiming the lead.

The driver recalled the intense focus he had to maintain in that moment and how driving slower had previously held him back. He then mentioned that it was essential for him to maintain a steady rhythm and keep it throughout the race, and that’s precisely what he did. He attributes this to reaching the checkered flag on Sunday, along with the guidance of his spotter, Josh Williams, and Crew Chief Stephan Doran.

“I have been privileged to have some great ones [race cars] in my time, but when I go slower, I just lose my concentration, so I was just trying to stay in a rhythm and a routine,” van Gisbergen said. “Josh Williams, [Spotter] and Stephen Doran [Crew Chief] were doing a great job of keeping me calm and focused,” Shane van Gisbergen explained post-race. 

Final Thoughts

Shane van Gisbergen was in for quite a challenge when he set foot on Mexican soil ahead of the Cup Series Viva Mexico 250. Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is an intimidating track, located at an elevation of 7,343 ft. above sea level, with limited visibility, variable banking, and steep corners.

However, it’s apparent that he didn’t let this deter him, because despite the track’s difficulties he was able to power through and successfully hold off Christopher Bell who notched three-consecutive points paying wins this season. Can he do it again in Pocono?