Mexico City Win Sparks SVG’s Season Surge, Shakes Playoff Standings

Shane van Gisbergen’s victory in Mexico City gave the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race a dramatic new twist on June 16, 2025. Racing for Trackhouse, van Gisbergen overcame a stomach illness to take the checkered flag at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

He won the Viva Mexico 250 by 16.567 seconds over Christopher Bell, marking the largest Cup Series winning margin since 2009. This win all but guarantees van Gisbergen a spot in the 16-driver playoff field, an outcome few saw coming after his rough start to the season.

Before Sunday’s race, van Gisbergen, known as SVG, ranked 33rd in series points and had only managed a single top-10 finish this year—a sixth place at Circuit of The Americas. Despite his challenges on ovals, he continued to show top skill on road courses, a trait that helped get him a place with Trackhouse.

Team owner Justin Marks brought SVG to NASCAR for this reason, praising his growth throughout the year. After his win from pole position, van Gisbergen said he’s focused on improving on ovals and wants to reward his crew with a team victory celebration back at the shop.

With SVG joining teammate Ross Chastain—winner of the Coca-Cola 600—Trackhouse now has two drivers safely inside the playoff cut. Daniel Suárez, also part of Trackhouse, sits 29th in the standings and may need a win to earn a postseason berth.

The playoff field now holds 10 of 16 spots filled, leaving 10 races for the remaining drivers to claim their place. Van Gisbergen’s move from Supercars in Australia to the U.S.-based Cup Series has not been simple.

He debuted with a surprise win in Chicago last year and has faced tough learning curves on NASCAR’s oval tracks, but his road course victories highlight his adaptability. Next, SVG will visit Pocono Raceway for the first time as a Cup Series driver.

Crew chief Stephen Doran acknowledged the steep challenges, noting SVG is still learning the feel and strategy of oval racing at each new venue. Doran called the Mexico win a momentum booster, crediting recent improvement on ovals and looking ahead to keeping that pace into the postseason push.

Van Gisbergen’s breakthrough shook up playoff hopes for competitors as well. Kyle Busch, who started the day at the elimination threshold, wrecked in Turn 1 and slipped to 50 points below the cut line.

Carson Hocevar also dropped further away, moving from 18 points out to a troubling 60-point deficit after a difficult race and a 34th-place finish. Incidents like these have left several playoff hopefuls scrambling with limited races to recover.

Though van Gisbergen battled illness and missed some pre-race activities, the post-race celebration showed his excitement for the milestone win. He credited his team and mentioned planning a mix of Red Bull and “adult beverages” to mark the turnaround for himself and Trackhouse Racing.

With this performance, van Gisbergen’s focus now turns to preparing for his playoff debut and helping his team enjoy the payoff from their dedication.

John Martinez

John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.