Winners, losers from NASCAR weekend in Mexico City
MEXICO CITY — A look at the winners and losers from Sunday's NASCAR Cup race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
WINNERS
Shane van Gisbergen — His rookie Cup season has been a struggle on the ovals but van Gisbergen did what he was hired by Trackhouse Racing to do — he won a road course race and put himself in a playoff spot. He did it easily, leading a race-high 60 laps and winning by 16.567 seconds — the largest margin of victory since Texas in November 2009 (25.686 seconds) and the largest margin of victory on a road course since Riverside in 1979 (32.9 seconds).
Mexico NASCARMedia.com NASCAR photo (5).jpg
Shane van Gisbergen wins NASCAR Mexico City Cup inaugural race by over 16 seconds
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The Trackhouse Racing driver qualifies for the 2025 playoffs with his second career victory.
Hendrick Motorsports — Placed three of its cars in the top 10. Chase Elliott was a season-best third, Alex Bowman fourth and William Byron ninth.
Christopher Bell — He finished second, giving him seven top-three finishes in 16 races this year. He has three wins, three runner-up results and a third-place finish.
Michael McDowell — His fifth-place finish was his best of the season. He has placed in the top 10 in four of the last six road course races.
John Hunter Nemechek — His sixth-place finish is his third top 10 in the last six races and gives him a career-high five top 10s on the season.
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Cole Custer — After travel snafus led to him and a few others from Haas Factory Team to drive from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Atlanta so they could fly to Mexico early Friday, he placed a season-best eighth Sunday.
Daniel Suarez — While he finished 19th in Sunday's Cup race, his victory in Saturday's Xfinity race in his home country was an electric and emotional moment he won't forget.
LOSERS
Carson Hocevar — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. confronted Hocevar after their second on-track incident in the last three races. Also, Hocevar's spin led to the final caution that came in the middle of a green-flag pit cycle and impacted the race for some drivers. On top of that, Hocevar finished 34th. He has finished 25th or worse in four of the last five races.
NASCAR: Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. upset with Carson Hocevar, vows action when 'we get back to the States'
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s comments were caught by Carson Hocevar's in-car camera after the race.
Kyle Busch — He entered the race tied for the last playoff spot (but outside the playoffs due to a tiebreaker). He crashed in the opening laps and finished last in the 37-car field. Busch now is 50 points out of the final playoff spot with 10 races left in the regular season.
Kyle Larson — His car was damaged in Kyle Busch's incident and lost several laps for repairs. Larson finished 36th. He has finished 36th or worse in two of the last four races.
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New York Times
22 minutes ago
- New York Times
NASCAR's Mexico City weekend was largely a success. Will it return in 2026?
MEXICO CITY — One of the main objectives behind bringing NASCAR's Cup Series to Mexico City, which on Sunday hosted the first premier series points race outside the United States since 1958, was introducing the sport to a culture unfamiliar with it. If expanding the fan base is the measuring stick to gauge whether the Mexico City race weekend is a success, then there's ample evidence that NASCAR accomplished it. Across the city, the fifth-largest in the world by population, advertisements promoting the race were everywhere, from billboards to the subway, and many fans expressed excitement about NASCAR racing within their city. Advertisement This enthusiasm was at its peak at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Fans loudly cheered the on-track action, particularly anything involving Daniel Suárez — a native of Monterrey, Mexico — whether it was a pass he made for position, or even when he was briefly shown on a video screen. When Suárez won Saturday's Xfinity Series race, the fans' roar drowned out the cars circling before them. But it wasn't only the native son who generated such a strong reaction, with many drivers finding themselves mobbed by fans when they walked through public areas. Beyond the anecdotal, there is hard data that supports NASCAR expanding into Mexico, something the sport's leadership has attempted for a while but wasn't able to make happen until this year. According to Ben Kennedy, NASCAR's executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovation officer, 90 percent of those who attended Sunday's race — won by Shane van Gisbergen — came from Mexico, and 44 percent of the crowd lived in Mexico City. 'Today wasn't just a race,' Kennedy said. 'This was a historic moment for our sport, for Mexico, and for the global motorsports' community. 'One of the coolest parts about this weekend was seeing the reaction of the fans. I had the opportunity to go into the stands a few times, and the energy and the passion of the fans here is unmatched.' It stands to reason, then, that NASCAR would exercise the option it holds with Mexican promoter OCESA to return to race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez next year. Too much positive came out of NASCAR's foray south of the border, and NASCAR and its teams largely support having an international race on the Cup calendar. Still, while NASCAR usually doesn't leave a track after just a single year (of the new tracks added since 2021, only Road America exited after less than three years), the league has not yet committed to another go in Mexico City. Advertisement 'We're very hopeful to be back here in the future,' Kennedy said. NASCAR has numerous reasons to hedge, and there is no rush to make a call. As it does after every new race, NASCAR's decision-makers will convene to dissect the completed race weekend, what worked and what didn't, while also soliciting industry feedback, primarily from the teams and media partners. NASCAR's discussions with teams will carry significant weight in any decision. From conversations with numerous team leaders throughout the weekend, nearly every one of them sees the benefit in continuing to race internationally and thought the Mexico City race weekend went rather smoothly — once everyone reached the city. And it's this caveat that proved problematic. Hiccups in travel, most of which was coordinated by NASCAR, led to several individuals arriving late to Mexico City. Among them was van Gisbergen, who didn't make it until shortly before opening practice on Friday, along with several members of his Trackhouse Racing team, after their NASCAR-chartered plane was grounded with a mechanical issue. Should Mexico City find a spot on the 2026 schedule, the majority of the teams that spoke to The Athletic would prefer to handle coordinating their own travel itineraries, something they do for every other race weekend. 'We're going to do a postmortem on our side around the event; we're going to collaborate with the teams,' Kennedy said. '… We're going to get together and put our heads together. What works? What will we continue to replicate in the future and where? What changes would you like to see if we do come back? How do we make sure it's as efficient and as effective as we can? Part of that is probably logistics planning. Part of that is probably scheduled.' Then there is the issue of actually getting the equipment to Mexico City, a difficulty compounded by a grinding Cup schedule that sees teams race 37 times over a 38-week span. Almost immediately following the June 8 race in Brooklyn, Michigan, team haulers had to begin heading toward Mexico City, required to be at the United States-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, 24 hours later. The next day, they continued on to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. This coming weekend, NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 2,500 miles back the other direction. Advertisement Ideally, teams would like to see an off weekend either before or after any future Mexico City race. 'We can't do this — Michigan, Mexico City, back to Pocono, can't happen, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon said. 'We're doing it and we're excited to take on the challenge, but it's going to wear on us, and I don't think we can do it all back-to-back. So we've got to make some adjustments to the schedule and how do we fit it all in into what's already a very difficult schedule.' NASCAR recognizes the burden placed on the teams, particularly hauler drivers. This was a big ask that required lots of buy-in. Kennedy, primarily NASCAR's chief schedule maker, acknowledged an off weekend would greatly help everyone. But also noted that it's not a straightforward decision given the complexity of putting together the schedule. 'Having it located adjacent to an off week would help quite a bit,' Kennedy said. 'From a travel perspective, the challenge is we don't have many off weeks. We have a couple off weeks, so we do have some options, and we are looking at those options ideally, if we do come back, it will be around an off week, but still have some work to do.' Logistic challenges aside, it's hard not to deem the inaugural race in Mexico City a success. And it's why the expectation within the garage is that NASCAR will again be racing there next year. For NASCAR to truly cash in on its sizable investment in this race, it would be a mistake not to build off the foothold that it has established over the past nine months since first announcing the race. The consensus is NASCAR needs at least one international race each season. And after the past week, Mexico City should be atop that list of options. 'For us, this is more of a strategic move as a sport to expand our footprint globally and internationally, and to a massive fan base,' Kennedy said. 'Just being in a country with 90 million people and over 20 million people in the larger Mexico City metro alone, that in and of itself is a success. That is success for us. Advertisement 'In my opinion, that carries a lot more weight than the economics or financials of the event. Sure, it's a variable we consider, but strategically, it's more important that we focus on those factors as we make those decisions.' (Top photo of race winner Shane van Gisbergen during Sunday's Cup Series race in Mexico City: Sean Gardner / Getty Images)
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Bubba Wallace Makes Bold Statement About NASCAR Mexico Race
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace enjoyed the NASCAR Cup Mexico City race on Sunday, making a bold statement about the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The American motorsport series made history, holding its first Cup Series race in Mexico ever, in what was an action-packed affair. Wallace finished 12th in the race, gaining 12 places from his 25th-place starting spot. JUNE 15: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Chumba Casino Toyota, looks on during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on June 15, 2025 in Mexico... JUNE 15: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Chumba Casino Toyota, looks on during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on June 15, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. More Photo byThe 23XI Racing driver, while enjoying his strong performance in the race, took to X after the race to share his feelings about the atmosphere. "It was f***ing awesome racing in Mexico and feeling all that love," Wallace posted. "Thanks to all the new fans!" This is what my translator gave me: Fue f***ing increíble a correr en México y sentir todo el cariño. Muchas gracias a todos los fans nuevos! ~It was f***ing awesome racing in Mexico and feeling all that love. Thanks to all the new fans! 👊🏾~ — Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 16, 2025 The race itself featured changing conditions as the rain stopped and started out of nowhere, making it difficult for teams to strategize. The fans in attendance enjoyed the jeopardy that the rain brought, and didn't let a little water stop their fun. The Mexico race was the first NASCAR event held outside of America in years, making it a truly special occasion. Before the race started, Wallace was impressed with the reception from America's southern neighbor and hopes it becomes a recurring event. "I think this is a massive step to be in this demographic, in this market," Wallace told the media. "I think the leadership has done a good job with everything that is in place for us to get here and put on an event for the local crowd here in Mexico. "The real answer to that will be post-race once we all see it all – like this is my first couple of hours on the race track grounds, and I've enjoyed it so far. "I've enjoyed being away from the race track. I've enjoyed my time at the race track." While the first race was successful, travel and logistical issues are putting a race in Mexico for 2026 in doubt. NASCAR was in Michigan the weekend before Mexico. Teams faced a real time crunch, getting things moved across the border in a short time span. "I think if we can work out the kinks of logistics and traveling – we've all seen the traffic nightmares that some teams have had over the last 24 hours," Wallace added. "I think if we can all come together and come up with some solid plan, that we won't have to run into that issue again. Nothing is ever the same. I think it can be done. "I know the teams go through a lot of stress. "Our truck drivers are the real heroes for this week, traveling 2,500 miles, or somewhere around that number if I'm correct, just to not go home and have an off weekend, we go right back to Pocono – it is still game on for the next several weeks. Logistics need to be worked out for sure, but I think we can do it." The future of NASCAR in Mexico is uncertain, but if Bubba Wallace has his way, he will be eating authentic tacos again next year.
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