Posted on by Pat DeCola

Shane van Gisbergen reminded everyone Sunday in Mexico City why his ascension to the Cup Series was a rapid one — he’s here to deliver trophies and is fully capable of doing so. With another playoff spot off the board, the focus shifts to Pocono Raceway, where defending winner and recent 2025 victor Ryan Blaney aims to make it two in a row at the “Tricky Triangle.”

NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Cup Series contenders after the Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and before The Great American Getaway 400 (2 p.m. ET, Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Get Prime, free 30-day trial! | 2025 Cup Series schedule | Full Cup Series standings

Analysis: Byron’s Mexico City run was a grind, but he managed to salvage a ninth-place finish after qualifying near the tail of the field and battling through the mid-pack chaos. The “Tricky Triangle” has been good to No. 24 in the past, so a smoother weekend could be in store. He dominated a Truck Series race there in 2016 and has four top-six Cup finishes in 11 Pocono starts.

Analysis: Bell was the best of the bigwigs in Mexico City, finishing runner-up but nearly 17 seconds behind SVG after a clean, composed drive. He has three top-six finishes at Pocono himself in just seven starts, and with JGR’s track record, Bell looks poised to keep his hot streak rolling at one of NASCAR’s most unique tracks.

Analysis: Larson’s Mexico City weekend ended in heartbreak after damage from an early crash kept him behind the wall for much of the event, leading to a second finish of 36th or worse in the past four weeks. He’s still one of the most dangerous drivers at Pocono — remember his near-win in 2021 before a last-lap tire failure — and will be hungry to rebound and finally capitalize at a track where Hendrick Motorsports always brings speed.

Analysis: Elliott returned to the podium with a third-place run in Mexico City, showing the poise and pace that have made him a road-course ace over the years. His 2022 Pocono win kicked off an active three-race top-10 streak there and No. 9 could be a real threat to break through this weekend.

Analysis: Hamlin’s Mexico City return will have to wait after he missed this season’s running for the birth of his son (fill-in Ryan Truex took the No. 11 home in 23rd). Hamlin’s Pocono resume is second to none — a track-record seven wins, three of which have come in the past eight races — and he should rebound from missing a race in a big way at one of his signature tracks.

Analysis: Blaney’s Mexico City finish was a quiet one, landing 14th after showing speed and residing in the top five in the two opening stages. He scored his first Cup win at Pocono in 2017 in memorable fashion and enters as the defending winner as well. Whenever the series heads to Pennsylvania, the No. 12 team is always a contender.

Analysis: Reddick never found his rhythm in Mexico City, coming home 20th after starting mid-pack and struggling to make ground. He’s still one of the sport’s most versatile drivers, and with a pair of runner-ups in two of his last three Pocono starts, don’t be surprised if he bounces back on the triangle’s infamous layout.

Analysis: Chastain’s Mexico City run was marred by a spin and a 16th-place finish, but he showed flashes of speed before trouble struck. He’s somehow still searching for his first Pocono top 10 in Cup, but his aggression and Trackhouse’s momentum could make him a wild card this weekend.

Analysis: Wallace fought hard for a 12th-place finish in Mexico City, keeping his playoff push alive with another steady day. He’s been strong at Pocono with an 8.5 average finish over the past four races, so watch for the No. 23 to be in the mix if his team nails the strategy.

Analysis: Buescher quietly delivered another road-course top 10 with a 10th-place run in Mexico City, continuing his run of consistency on these layouts. He’s a past Pocono winner (2016, in the fog-shortened race) and RFK’s recent speed suggests he could be a dark horse again this weekend.

Analysis: Briscoe rebounded from a somewhat fruitless three-race run of poles with a strong seventh-place finish in Mexico City, showing poise and pace on the international stage. He’s still seeking his first Pocono top 10 and laps led, but it feels like we’re about to enter a strong stretch for JGR and Briscoe’s confidence is trending up.

Analysis: Logano’s Mexico City outing was a struggle, finishing 21st after fighting handling issues all day. He’s a past Pocono winner (2012), but his results there with Team Penske have been quite hit or miss. Still, don’t count out No. 22 for a bounce-back performance.

Analysis: Bowman got the rebound he needed in Mexico City with a strong fourth-place drive under less-than-ideal conditions, building momentum after a tough stretch. He’s a past Pocono winner (2021, capitalizing on Larson’s misfortune) and could be a sneaky pick to contend again this weekend.

Analysis: Preece grabbed a stage win and recovered from a penalty to finish 15th in Mexico City, showing flashes of speed and racecraft on the road course in a speedy Ford. He’s still looking for a true breakout oval run in 2025, but his recent form suggests he could surprise if things break his way at Pocono.

Analysis: Cindric’s 18th-place finish in Mexico City was a solid if unspectacular day, but he kept his nose clean and led a lap. He has not quite impressed at Pocono just yet, but he has finished better each time out and his road-course discipline could translate to the triangle’s technical corners eventually.

Analysis: McDowell delivered his best run of the year with a fifth-place finish in Mexico City for a whopping 45 points, capitalizing on chaos and showcasing his road-course prowess. He’s had some sneaky good recent runs at Pocono, and with Spire’s recent uptick, McDowell could be a dark horse for another top 10.

Analysis: Busch’s Mexico City race ended early after an incident put him out just seven laps in, continuing a frustrating off-and-on run of bad luck. Still, he’s a four-time Pocono winner and always a threat if his team can find the right balance for the triangle’s unique demands.

Analysis: Allmendinger rallied to 13th in Mexico City, once again proving his road-course mettle despite perhaps missing out on one of his playoff-clinching opportunities. Pocono has rarely been kind to him, but his experience and Kaulig’s steady improvement could see the No. 16 in the hunt for stage points.

Analysis: Berry’s first international Cup race was a learning experience, coming home 26th after a mid-race incident (but getting a front-row seat to the Carson Hocevar/Ricky Stenhouse Jr. skirmish, so, you win some, you lose some). The short-track ace is still gaining experience on the big ovals, but Wood Brothers Racing has a strong Pocono history and win No. 2 isn’t that far-fetched for Berry.

Analysis:  SVG was expected to be strong but still stunned the field in Mexico City, leading 60 of 100 laps from pole and winning by a mesmerizing amount of time for his second Cup victory — both at inaugural road-course events. The New Zealander is still learning NASCAR’s ovals, but with Trackhouse’s momentum and the playoff monkey off his back, he’ll be one of the most intriguing wild cards at Pocono this weekend.

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts a two-week northeast swing this Friday at Pocono Raceway (5 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series

Cup Series regular Carson Hocevar is slated to make his fourth start of the season in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports entry, while Xfinity Series driver Brandon Jones is behind the wheel of the No. 1 machine for the seventh time.

See the full entry list for the MillerTech Battery 200:

 

Posted on by Staff Report

After an exciting international weekend in Mexico City, the NASCAR Xfinity Series returns stateside to race in the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series

Chase Elliott, who finished runner-up at Darlington Raceway in April, will make his second Xfinity Series start of the season, piloting the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will put on his crew chief hat this weekend, subbing in for Mardy Lindley on the No. 88 Chevrolet driven by Connor Zilisch. Lindley will serve his one-race suspension at Pocono for a penalty resulting from a lugnut violation at Nashville.

View the full entry list for Saturday’s event:

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series makes its return to the United States this weekend with a trip to Pocono Raceway for Sunday’s The Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VisitPA.com (2 p.m. ET, Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series

The “Tricky Triangle” in northeastern Pennsylvania is the final seeding event to set the bracket for the 32 drivers competing in the In-Season Challenge, which begins June 28 at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

MORE: How to watch NASCAR on Prime Video | How the In-Season Challenge works

Denny Hamlin will return to his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after missing last Sunday’s race in Mexico City for the birth of his son. Brennan Poole will drive the No. 44 Chevrolet for NY Racing Team this weekend as the only Open entry slated for competition at Pocono.

See the full entry list for Sunday’s 160-lap, 400-mile race around the 2.5-mile track:

Posted on by Zack Albert

MEXICO CITY — Turns out NASCAR’s grand venture into Mexico wasn’t the only international jolt to the Cup Series status quo.

New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, powering through a stomach ailment that forced him to seek pre-race medical treatment, produced a season-saving victory Sunday at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez that virtually sewed up a berth in the Cup Series Playoffs. His triumph in the Viva Mexico 250 came with dominant style, by 16.567 seconds over runner-up Christopher Bell in the largest Cup Series margin of victory in nearly 16 years.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Mexico City

Van Gisbergen entered Sunday’s race ranked 33rd in Cup Series points, fourth from the bottom among full-time drivers. His only other top-10 to date has been a sixth place at Circuit of The Americas, the only other road course on the schedule so far. But SVG also has eyes on improvement in his first full Cup season, making methodical gains in his transition to oval-style racing.

In the meantime, he’s making the most of his exceptional road-racing talent, a prime reason why Trackhouse founder Justin Marks brought him to the United States. The plans ahead include getting his game playoff-ready and sharing Sunday’s spoils with his team behind the scenes after his stateside return.

“That’s why I’m here, to win road races. But I’m not here to run last on the ovals either,” said van Gisbergen, who started from the pole after ruling Saturday’s qualifying. “I need to keep getting better to justify being a Cup Series driver. I need to be performing on the ovals, too. I feel like we’re really making strides, but yeah, this is what I’m here to do, make the playoffs, put another Trackhouse car in the playoffs, and yeah, can’t wait to do the victory lunch during the week at Trackhouse and just see how stoked everyone is there. You see the effort everyone puts in, and they don’t get the glory. They’re just stuck at the shop. I love taking that and sharing that moment with them during the week.”

The postseason field has now swelled to 10 drivers for the 16 available spots, with 10 races remaining in the Cup Series regular season. Van Gisbergen joins teammate Ross Chastain, the Coca-Cola 600 winner, in that group, with fellow Trackhouse driver Daniel Suárez — this weekend’s homegrown hero — ranked 29th on the playoff leaderboard and likely needing a win as his path to the postseason.

Van Gisbergen had competed in two partial Cup Series schedules before this year’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year campaign. He most famously burst onto the Cup radar with a stunning victory with Trackhouse in the first Chicago Street Race, and Marks snapped him up to place him on a NASCAR trajectory.

MORE: Weekend schedule: Pocono | Playoff bubble update

His move from the Aussie-based Supercars Championship series to the ovals of NASCAR has been challenging, and he’s still visiting some of the venues on the schedule for the first time. Case in point: Next weekend’s trip to Pocono Raceway will be an SVG debut there. No matter how tricky that triangle proves to be, van Gisbergen has another inaugural race win in the bank, plus a playoff future to focus on in the coming weeks.

“We knew it would be tough,” said Stephen Doran, crew chief for SVG’s No. 88 Chevrolet. “He’s going to a lot of these places for the first time in a Cup car just figuring out how to race ovals with this type of car. So we knew it would be a struggle. It’s still going through it, but it’s a huge relief to get this. I think it’s just a momentum builder. We’ve been better on the ovals for the past month, and I think we’ll keep building on that and get ready for the playoffs now.”

Other drivers left Mexico with their playoff fates shaken, either by the impact of SVG’s win or the trouble they found in changing conditions along the 2.42-mile circuit. Kyle Busch had entered the race tied on the provisional elimination line, but his early exit after a crash in the rain-soaked Turn 1 dropped him to 50 points below the bubble — a three-spot drop. Carson Hocevar also fell flat with what he termed as a “sloppy” performance, knocking him from minus-18 on the bubble’s fringes to minus-60 and angering rival Ricky Stenhouse Jr. after an uneven 34th-place day.

Sunday’s results for van Gisbergen weren’t upsetting, but his physical condition was. He said he’d used an abundance of caution in what he ate or drank on this international trip, but his race-day illness left him ailing, forcing him to miss out on some of the pre-race pomp.

He was present for all of the post-race fanfare, saying he planned to keep his celebration going: “I’m going to mix some Red Bulls with some adult beverages.” A playoff clincher and a new outlook for his season likely helped make that mix even sweeter.

“Yeah,” SVG said, “it means everything to us.”

PLAYOFF BUBBLE AT A GLANCE:

RankDriverCutoff
13Bubba Wallace+57
14Chase Briscoe+39
15Alex Bowman+22
16Chris Buescher+19
ELIMINATION LINE
17Ryan Preece-19
18Michael McDowell-43
19AJ Allmendinger-45
20Kyle Busch-50
Posted on by Alex Cadavid

MEXICO CITY — Through clenched teeth and a grimacing face, Alex Bowman climbed out of his race car after scoring his first top-five finish in more than a month since Kansas Speedway.

For Bowman and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team, Sunday’s Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was more than a strong points day — it was a much-needed breakthrough after weeks of pain, both physical and competitive.

“I mean, after the last couple months, it feels good to give this Ally 48 team a run they deserve, right?” Bowman told NASCAR.com. “We’ve had a lot of fast race cars and had days that didn’t go our way. We’ve had issues. We’ve had times that I’ve crashed the car. Just to get them a good run after everything this week, and as hard as they had to work to get me here, just with everything that I had going on, I just really appreciate all their support and glad to get them a good finish.”

Bowman has been nursing a back injury suffered in a hard crash at Michigan International Speedway. While the pain has been manageable at times, it’s also been a constant presence — and it showed in Mexico City, where the 2.42-mile, 15-turn circuit demanded the Arizonian wheelman to endure discomfort for 100 laps.

RELATED: Race results | Photos from south of the border

“I’ve got an appointment to get stretched out here in about five minutes,” Bowman added. “So straight to that and a bunch of PT all week. Just trying to get my back under control. It certainly hasn’t been fun, but it’s one of those things. It’s not like a skeletal injury or anything. It’s just muscular and that stuff can be super painful, but also, if you can fight through it, it’s pretty rewarding.”

Bowman started 29th in a field of 37, and thanks to a well-timed strategy call from crew chief Blake Harris to pit on Lap 62, that gave the team a slim window of opportunity to fight for track position.

“We were watching a bunch of weather, right?” Harris explained. “It was still a little too wet the original time there when we pitted for slicks. But we felt our best shot was to flip the stage at that point. We took the slicks early and got the track position early, and then really that kind of put us in a scenario where if we continued to stay out, we were going to be out of fuel before some of the other guys.”

As it turned out, the yellow flew just in time.

“We pitted, and that caution came out a lap and a half later,” Harris said. “That couldn’t have been any better for us. That got us in the fuel window to the end, and really just got us in a good spot to be able to bring home a top five.”

The 48 car didn’t have winning speed in the closing laps as eventual race winner Shane van Gisbergen skedaddled to a two-second lead soon after the restart, but Bowman managed the race smartly. He briefly battled Christopher Bell and teammate Chase Elliott — who rounded out the podium — and preserved his position rather than overdriving the car and potentially giving up more spots.

“I had burnt the rear tires off of it pretty bad,” Bowman admitted. “Started locking up the rears a lot on entry under the brakes. Didn’t want to get too much front brake in it and lock the fronts up. When they said, like, 16 to go, I’m like, ‘holy cow, it’s a long way.’ I could have raced Chase super hard and cost us a bunch of time. Just tried to be efficient with it in hopes that he could go get HMS a better finish than I was going to be able to, and not let the guys behind us catch up either.”

MORE: Van Gisbergen triumphs in inaugural Cup Series race in Mexico City | Cup Series schedule

The run comes at a crucial time in the season as Bowman and the No. 48 team look to stay in the playoff conversation. After a stretch of three straight finishes of 29th or worse, Sunday’s result marked a potential turning point.

“Honestly, we as a team needed to flip the script on what it’s been for the last five or six weeks for us,” Harris said. “I feel like we’ve had fast race cars. I feel like a lot of stuff that’s happened has not been in our control. So for us to have a few things fall right, for us to get the track position like that, for him to be in the pain that he’s been in since that wreck last week and come and just put on that performance means a lot to this entire team.”

Bowman now heads to Pocono Raceway (Sun., 2 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), a track where he owns a win and five top 10s at and believes he has a real shot to contend again there and later on with more road courses on deck; he will have a chance to defend his Chicago Street Race win in July.

“I feel like road-course racing has become a big strong suit for the 48 team,” Bowman said. “I think we have a shot to win, I mean, going to Pocono, we ran third there last year. So yeah, just excited to get things pointed in the right direction after two months of hell.”

Posted on by George Winkler

The three races at Michigan International Speedway, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and Pocono Raceway determine the seeding for NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge. Seeding is based on a driver’s best finish in the three races. The first tiebreaker is the next-best finish in the three races, followed by the third-best finish in the three races. If there’s still a tie after that, then season-long points standings after Pocono will determine who gets the better seed for the challenge opener on June 28 at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

RELATED: How the In-Season Challenge works | Hub page with bracket

We’ll track how the seeding is stacking up, from No. 1 to No. 32, after each of the three seeding races — and provide instant analysis. Here’s where we stand after the second seeding race at Mexico City:

Mexico City race winner: Shane van Gisbergen won the Cup Series’ inaugural race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for his first victory of the season and the second in his career. He turned the playoff picture upside down and jumped to the lead in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle, but his win had no effect on the In-Season Challenge. SVG was 33rd in the standings after Nashville and therefore was not included among the 32 cars eligible to fight for the $1 million prize.

RELATED: Race results

Who’s in line for the top four seeds: Denny Hamlin remains on track for the top seed, despite missing the Mexico City race to stay home for the birth of his son. That’s because he’s the only driver with a win during the seeding races who is also eligible for the challenge. SVG’s win kept the trophy out of the hands of one of Hamlin’s competitors. … Chris Buescher stays as the No. 2 seed based on his second-place finish last week at Michigan and an 11th-place finish at Mexico City that gives him the tiebreaker over Christopher Bell. Buescher would be matched up against No. 31 seed Noah Gragson. … Bell’s second-place finish at Mexico City bumped Ty Gibbs down to the fourth seed, where he holds the tiebreaker over Chase Elliott thanks to his second-best finish of 11th being better than Elliott’s second-best finish of 16th. Bell would be in line to match up against No. 30 seed Ty Dillon while Gibbs would face No. 29 Todd Gilliland.

Most interesting matchup if the Challenge started today: No. 1 Denny Hamlin vs. No. 32 Carson Hocevar. After his win at Michigan, Hamlin made the bold statement that he thinks Hocevar has the talent to be in the top six drivers of the sport. Well, Hamlin is already in that elite group, so this matchup would be the perfect combination of future Hall of Famer versus young upstart. Plus, neither driver really likes to back down, so this matchup would likely have plenty of spice to it. Would be curious to know Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s take on it.

Who’s Up

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet: Bowman bounced back from being in the “Down” section last week after a hard wreck at Michigan left him with a 36th-place finish. He jumped from the 36th seed to seventh after a fourth-place finish at Mexico City, and he’d have a first-round matchup with Stenhouse Jr. if this holds to form. Bowman regained some of the road-course moxie he had in winning last year on the Chicago Street Course, and with Chicago as part of the In-Season Challenge, he could quickly become a factor for the $1 million prize should the momentum carry over.

Who’s Down

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet: Busch entered Mexico City with high hopes after an eighth-place finish at Michigan and the speed he showed at Circuit of The Americas (fifth place) in the season’s first road-course race. However, all of that evaporated when Busch spun and ignited a multi-car wreck seven laps into the Viva Mexico 250 and did not finish. The last-place result knocked Busch from eighth to the 14th seed before Pocono. Busch would face Josh Berry in the first round if this spot holds.

Projected seeds entering Pocono:

Projected SeedDriverBest finish2nd best finish
1Denny Hamlin1DNS
2Chris Buescher210
3Christopher Bell216
4Ty Gibbs311
5Chase Elliott315
6Bubba Wallace412
7Alex Bowman436
8Michael McDowell530
9Kyle Larson536
10Ross Chastain616
11John Hunter Nemechek634
12Chase Briscoe723
13Zane Smith735
14Kyle Busch837
15Ryan Preece915
16William Byron928
17Brad Keselowski1025
18Erik Jones1117
19Josh Berry1226
20AJ Allmendinger1317
21Tyler Reddick1320
22Daniel Suarez1419
23Ryan Blaney1432
24Austin Cindric1831
25Austin Dillon1928
26Ricky Stenhouse Jr.2027
27Joey Logano2122
28Justin Haley2124
29Todd Gilliland2233
30Ty Dillon2433
31Noah Gragson2730
32Carson Hocevar2934
Posted on by Zack Albert

MEXICO CITY — Carson Hocevar was limping as he emerged from his Spire Motorsports entry Sunday at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, favoring a bruised and swollen ankle after slipping and falling earlier in the weekend. Add his ears to the list of bruises after a solid post-race tongue-lashing from newfound rival Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Stenhouse went spinning after contact from Hocevar in the 90th of 100 laps in Sunday’s Viva Mexico 250, the historic first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race outside the United States in 67 years. The nudge in the tight stadium section of the 2.42-mile circuit led to a heated confrontation on pit road after the checkered flag, with Stenhouse leaning into the No. 77 Chevrolet’s driver-side window and sending angry words Hocevar’s way.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Mexico City

The incident was the second in three weekends between the two, with the latest tiff arriving two weeks after Hocevar ignited a crash that sidelined Stenhouse’s Hyak Motorsports No. 47 Chevrolet at Nashville Superspeedway. Asked what message he delivered when asked by Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Stenhouse replied: “I told him I was going to beat his ass once we got back in the States.”

Whether the international intrigue turns into frontier justice stateside, Hocevar struck a contrite tone.

“I mean, I didn’t really hear him,” Hocevar said, “but I mean, I know he was very mad and I was very apologetic.”

Between the two of them, Stenhouse actually ended up better off in the results sheet with a 27th-place finish in the 37-car field. Hocevar, the 2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year, was one lap down in 34th after a spin that brought out the final caution period.

Both drivers got back going after their Lap 90 altercation, with no yellow flag to slow Shane van Gisbergen’s march to his second Cup Series victory. Hocevar said his car lost traction on his entry into the stadium section, and that his miscue unfortunately crossed Stenhouse’s path.

“I just got left and in the marbles and slid a lot longer than I expected,” Hocevar said. “So yeah, I mean, obviously number one, not somebody I would never want to hit again. But number two, just yeah, I wasn’t racing anything. I was just logging laps, just trying to wait on a yellow and maybe see if we could put our day back together. But yeah, I just hit a curb wrong and got in the marbles and slid all the way through the corner. So I tried to turn left and avoid him, but just really, really sloppy day by me, and then that was another incident of the day that was really just sloppy.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

MEXICO CITY – An overcast sky and early afternoon drizzle could not dampen the enthusiasm or energy of the huge crowd at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Sunday for the first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race outside the United States in half a century.

And they were not disappointed.

As he did at another NASCAR “inaugural race” — on the streets of Chicago two years ago in his national series debut — New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, 36, prevailed again. This time, driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, he claimed a huge 16.567-second victory over Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell in the Viva Mexico 250 – the largest margin of victory in the Cup Series since Texas in November 2009.

The three-time Australian Supercars champion van Gisbergen — in his first full-time season at the NASCAR Cup Series level — won pole position and led 60 of the race’s 100 laps, including the final 32, easily pulling away from the field to claim his first ever provisional berth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with the win. He extended his margin of victory by nearly a second in each of the final five laps.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Mexico City 

“What a week. I’ve really enjoyed myself here, but felt like rubbish this morning,’’ said van Gisbergen, whose victory was only his second top-10 finish of the season.

“Our car was amazing,’’ he added. “The 54 [Ty Gibbs] was close, but that last stint, what a pleasure, just ripping lap after lap and watching them get smaller in the mirror.’’

As thrilled as the crowd may have been to watch van Gisbergen’s masterwork, there was no doubt they were there to cheer on his Trackhouse teammate, Mexico native Daniel Suárez, who was celebrated as a hero after his win in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

The grandstands chanted “Dan-iel Dan-iel” and held up signs of support. And Suárez was emotional standing by his car on the starting grid as a local children’s choir sang the Mexican National Anthem before the race. Ultimately, he ended up 19th, leading briefly early and finishing with a pass on the final lap.

On the race’s cool-down lap, Suárez pulled his car alongside van Gisbergen’s parked car to offer congratulations on the big win.

“I feel like today, I gave my best, but it just wasn’t good enough,’’ Suárez said. “I wish I was in the mix a little more fighting up front, but it just wasn’t in the cards today. I’m happy with the performance. I don’t feel like I left anything on the table, just wasn’t meant to be.”

As for the event in Mexico City – something Suárez has worked so hard to promote, he was ecstatic calling the whole experience.

“It couldn’t have been any better,’’ a proud Suárez said. “I’ve been here since Tuesday just working, doing promotion for sponsors, for the race itself, for fans. Every single thing that we did exceeded my expectations. The fans were amazing. Yesterday you could hear them for their passions. It is an experience I for sure won’t forget for a very, very long time.’’

MORE: NASCAR in Mexico ‘exceeded all expectations’ for native Suárez

In the end, it was the New Zealand national anthem played on the stadium speaker as NASCAR did a unique post-race celebration having the top-three finishing drivers – van Gisbergen, Bell and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott – stand on podiums and hoist trophies.

The victory was particularly rewarding for van Gisbergen, considering the amount of adversity he faced this week in Mexico. He was sick to his stomach Sunday morning and his crew showed up a day later than the other teams after some travel challenges.

In the end, however, van Gisbergen had to tell his crew chief to stop telling him to “slow down” in those closing laps. “I was just trying to stay in a rhythm,’’ he said.

SHOP: Winner gear 

Van Gisbergen said he texted with his friend and fellow Red Bull-sponsored racer, reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen, a five-time Mexico City F1 race winner, who gave him a few tips on the braking zones and racing lines.

And the Kiwi did all that, capping off the day with his unique victory celebration – punting a rugby ball into the cheering grandstand crowd that certainly got their money’s worth.

Not only did van Gisbergen prevail in some tough circumstances, Bell’s work was also impressive, considering he finished runner-up after starting 31st. Elliott rolled into the top five with about 25 laps remaining and steadily moved forward. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman finished fourth and Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell was fifth.

John Hunter Nemechek, Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer, championship points leader William Byron and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10.

Also notable on Sunday, there was a brief post-race confrontation on pit road stemming from an incident two weeks ago at Nashville between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carson Hocevar.

MORE: Stenhouse confronts Hocevar on pit road

The former Daytona 500 winner Stenhouse leaned into Hocevar’s car and had words with the 22-year old, ultimately telling reporters that he promised to settle the score in the near future. It was unclear what happened Sunday to precipitate the confrontation. Stenhouse finished 27th and Hocevar was 34th.

Championship frontrunner Kyle Larson was collected in an eight-car accident only seven laps into the race and finished 36th – 38 laps down. That cost him dearly in the regular season standings and now he trails his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron by 67 points with 10 races remaining to settle the playoff field of 16.

The series returns stateside for next Sunday’s The Great American Getaway 400 (2 p.m. ET, Prime Video, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Ryan Blaney is the defending race winner.

NOTE: Post-race inspection in the NASCAR Cup Series garage is complete. There were no issues. No cars to R&D.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Growing up a race fan on Long Island, Justin Bonsignore was drawn to fellow Long Islander Mike Ewanitsko.

Ewanitsko was a dominant force at Riverhead Raceway, now the only race track on Long Island, winning 11 times with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at the quarter-mile bullring.

For years, no one could claim to be on the same level as Ewanitsko in Modified Tour competition at Riverhead. Now Bonsignore can say he’s surpassed him.

RELATED: Full results from the Miller Lite Salutes Steve Park 200

The driver from Holtsville, New York scored his 46th Modified Tour win Sunday in the Miller Lite Salutes Steve Park 200. The win doubled as his 12th series victory at his home track, breaking a tie with Ewanitsko at the top of the all-time win list at the Long Island oval.

“I’ve been wanting to break this record for a long time,” Bonsignore said from Victory Lane. “Mike was a childhood hero of mine.”

To secure his 12th victory at Riverhead, Bonsignore had to outlast a variety of challengers on Father’s Day afternoon.

Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk
Justin Bonsignore (51) races to the inside of Ron Silk during Sunday’s Miller Lite Salutes Steve Park 200 at Riverhead Raceway. (Photo: Mike Lawrence/NASCAR)

He qualified on the Hoosier Tire Pole, but the post-qualifying redraw saw Bonsignore draw the third starting position while Patrick Emerling secured the pole. It didn’t take Bonsignore long to get to the lead; he overtook Emerling within the first 25 laps.

However, he quickly found himself being challenged by Ron Silk, who entered Sunday’s race as winner of three of the last four Modified Tour events at Riverhead.

Silk quickly took the lead from Bonsignore and drove to more than a three second advantage, but the race was far from over. A serious of caution flags, the first coming with 90 laps left, led to a round of pit stops that saw Bonsignore beat Silk off pit road to regain the race lead.

“Pit crew did a great job,” Bonsignore said. “We had two really great pit stops.”

The final stage of the race featured multiple caution flags, forcing Bonsignore to go on the defensive as he tried to hold the lead through repeated restarts. As the laps clicked off, Silk faded to fourth, and Bonsignore found himself trying to hold off Seekonk Speedway winner Matt Hirschman.

A multi-car crash within the final five laps gave Hirschman one final opportunity to dethrone Bonsignore, but the driver of the No. 51 Ken Massa Motorsports Modified held his ground and delivered his first Modified Tour victory of the 2025 campaign.

“It was nice to beat Ron. We ran each other really hard but really clean,” Bonsignore said. “He’s been so good here the last couple years. We snuck a few in, but it was nice to outrun him today.

“I got myself in trouble at Seekonk and caused a big wreck and tore up a lot of cars. It was mainly because I wanted to show Matt Hirschman the respect he deserves, and, you know what, I didn’t have a good run there. He definitely ran me really clean on the last lap there, so things run in a full circle, and I appreciate that.”

Hirschman acknowledged he could have forced Bonsignore’s hand during the final restart but chose instead to race clean and settled for second.

“If you want to steal a win that’s different than actually earning a win,” Hirschman said. “We earned a good second-place finish today. Obviously they had a great car. They were up front most of the race and early they were out of sight.”

With his first win of the 2025 season now behind him, Bonsignore can shift his focus to pursing his fifth Modified Tour championship. But first he wanted to spend a bit of time soaking in his 12th Riverhead win with his family by his side on Father’s Day.

“To have my family here, it’s the first race that all of them have been to this year,” Bonsignore said. “For it to be on Father’s Day at home and everything we did, it’s just really cool.”

Emerling finished third after leading the opening laps Sunday afternoon. Silk was fourth, followed by Craig Lutz in fifth. The remainder of the top 10 included Kyle Bonsignore, Tommy Catalano, Austin Beers, Tyler Rypkema and Luke Baldwin.

The Modified Tour roars back to action in two weeks when the series returns to White Mountain Motorsports Park in Winchester, New Hampshire for the running of the Thunder in the Mountains 200 on Saturday, June 28. The event will air live on FloRacing at 8 p.m. ET.