Shane van Gisbergen Clinches NASCAR Cup Pole in Mexico City

Shane van Gisbergen claimed his second career pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series by setting the fastest lap during qualifying in Mexico City. Driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, van Gisbergen clocked a 1:32.776 lap early in the session.

No other driver matched his pace throughout the 45-minute open qualifying, giving him his first pole of the 2025 season and the top spot for NASCAR’s debut Cup Series race in Mexico City.

Ryan Preece took the second spot on the grid for RFK Racing, finishing just 0.064 seconds behind van Gisbergen. This broke up what could have been a Trackhouse Racing front row lockout.

Ross Chastain, van Gisbergen’s teammate, put in his best qualifying run of the year to secure third. Ty Gibbs continued his solid form to take fourth, with Michael McDowell rounding out the top five.

Cup champion Kyle Larson posted the sixth-best time, followed by Todd Gilliland, A.J. Allmendinger, Joey Logano, and local favorite Daniel Suarez in the top ten.

The qualifying session ran more like an extended practice, with drivers making laps throughout as teams adjusted setups and watched for changing weather. Rain had been a concern from the start, and the session was red-flagged with 17 minutes left due to a light shower.

Qualifying did not resume after the delay, so earlier laps stood and determined the starting order. Several drivers hoped for another run, including Allmendinger and Christopher Bell, but the conditions did not improve in time.

There were a few incidents during the session. Katherine Legge spun her car in the grass early on but managed to avoid damage.

Ryan Preece also spun immediately after securing the second-fastest lap, though he continued without issue. Other drivers like Chase Briscoe will have more work to do in the race after qualifying outside their usual positions; Briscoe will start from 19th, ending his streak of three consecutive Cup poles.

The session also saw surprises lower in the order. Tyler Reddick led the way for 23XI Racing but only managed to qualify 22nd.

Both William Byron and Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports will start outside the top 25, with Byron in 27th and Bowman 29th. Christopher Bell, who recently won at Circuit of the Americas, could only manage a 31st starting spot.

Filling in for Denny Hamlin, Ryan Truex qualified 36th in his first Cup Series start in nearly 11 years. Katherine Legge will line up last on the grid in 37th position.

With van Gisbergen starting from pole, the Trackhouse Racing team has a chance to shake up the playoff picture. Sitting 33rd in the standings, a win could put van Gisbergen back into contention.

The first NASCAR Cup race held in Mexico City is set to be a highlight of the 2025 season, with drivers and fans eager to see how the competition unfolds on race day. The race’s significance is comparable to high-profile events like the Monaco Grand Prix, bringing international attention to the motorsport scene.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.