Van Gisbergen's emotional win in Mexico City locks him into NASCAR playoffs
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Shane Van Gisbergen once again mastered a new track — this one the iconic Mexico City road course — to win NASCAR's first Cup Series points-paying race outside the United States of the modern era.
The New Zealander led 60 of 100 laps Sunday at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to earn his first Cup victory since he won in his NASCAR debut at the inaugural 2023 street course race in Chicago. That victory changed his career trajectory and Van Gisbergen left Australia V8 Supercars, where he was a multiple champion, for a full-time move to NASCAR.
Although he had success in the Xfinity Series — he won three races last year as Trackhouse Racing developed him for a Cup Series ride — Van Gisbergen has struggled this year at NASCAR's top level.
He started the race ranked 33rd in the Cup standings with only one top-10 finish through the first 15 races of the season. But his victory in Mexico City earned him an automatic berth into NASCAR's playoffs with a shot to race for the Cup Series championship.
Van Gisbergen benefitted from an early pop-up rain shower on the first lap of the race because he's an exceptionally skilled driver on a wet surface. His win at Chicago was in monsoon-like conditions.
He won the pole in Mexico City and started the race as the BetMGM betting favorite, particularly since rain was in the forecast. He had to contend with several challengers, Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing among them, but took the lead for good with 31 laps remaining.
Trackhouse now has two of its drivers — Ross Chastain and Van Gisbergen — locked into the playoffs. But it was a bit of a disappointment for Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey native who thrilled the hometown crowd with a win in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, as he failed to challenge his teammate for the win and finished 19th.
Suarez, who appeared to be blinking back tears as he sang along with the Mexican national anthem in pre-race ceremonies, desperately wanted the home win in this contract year with Trackhouse. He was the face of this event as NASCAR ventured outside the U.S. with its top series for the first time since 1958.
Bell finished second in a Toyota for JGR — 16.567 seconds behind the winner. He was followed by Chase Elliott in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Alex Bowman, who hurt his back in a crash last week at Michigan, withstood the pain for a fourth-place finish in his Hendrick Chevrolet.
Michael McDowell of Spire Motorsports was fifth and followed by John Hunter Nemechek in a Toyota for Legacy Motor Club. Chase Briscoe of JGR was seventh and followed by Cole Custer for Haas Factory as the highest-finishing Ford driver. William Byron of Hendrick was ninth and Chris Buescher of RFK Racing rounded out the top 10.
Chevrolets took five of the top-10 positions, including the victory. Bad day for Busch
Kyle Busch, who started the race at the bottom of the playoff standings, suffered a massive setback when he crashed out of the race on the sixth lap and finished last in the 37-car field.
Busch, who was ranked 15th in the Cup Series standings when he arrived in Mexico City, blamed the incident on the wet track.
'Just in the rain, and I went down into (Turn) 11 and got on the brakes pretty hard, and everything was fine, everything was comfortable, stopped really good,' he said. "And I'm like 'OK I can be a little more aggressive getting into 1,' and I figured it was going to be fine, and as soon as I went to the brakes, it was like being on ice, and I was just sliding.
'About a second a half or so, I was trying to figure out which direction to go, and I was like I've got to turn this thing around backward, because I'm going to nail some people. Hate it for all those involved in my mishap. I hate that the rain came and now it's nice and dry. Just have to go fight for more points in another week.' Gordon gives command
NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon was selected to give the command for drivers to start their engines and admitted before the race he'd done some practicing.
Why? Because he incorporated both English and Spanish in his delivery of the most famous words in racing.
'Hola Mexico!' Gordon shouted. "Pilotos start your engines! Up Next
NASCAR races next Sunday at Pocono Raceway, where Ryan Blaney won last year.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
recommended
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alex Bowman grits through pain to finish fourth in Mexico
MEXICO CITY — Alex Bowman winced as he lowered his body into a seat in the drivers meeting Sunday, the pain in his right lower back and leg a result of his high-speed head-on crash the previous week in Michigan. He said on Saturday that it was painful sitting in his car. Just sitting in a regular padded folding chair Sunday proved as difficult. Advertisement Yet, here he was about to run 100 laps around the 15-turn, 2.42-mile Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez course from the 29th starting spot. HIs journey lasted 3 hours and 14 minutes. When it ended, he had finished fourth. "Running well probably made it easier than it could have been,' Bowman told Prime after the race. 'Just proud of the whole team. I put us behind this week. In full transparency, I couldn't walk on Wednesday, so I missed all my sim stuff, all my meetings. Just trying to get back going. 'I had a lot of help from a lot of people to fix whatever the hell was going on, and thankfully enough, I was able to run all the laps this weekend.' Mexico NASCAR photo (5).jpg Shane van Gisbergen wins NASCAR Mexico City Cup inaugural race by over 16 seconds Advertisement The Trackhouse Racing driver qualifies for the 2025 playoffs with his second career victory. Crew chief Blake Harris marveled at what Bowman accomplished. 'To be honest, we didn't know … Wednesday night for sure that he was going to be on the plane with us Thursday,' Harris said. 'I thought his recovery was going well and Wednesday me and another guy had to basically carry him because he got to a point where he almost couldn't walk. 'It's tough for me because I look at Michigan, it doesn't matter what happens with our team, I feel responsible for it. In my opinion … if the car is more comfortable at Michigan, we're not in the 20s (in the running order) and we don't get crashed.' NASCAR Mexico NASCAR won't commit to returning to Mexico in 2026 but 'very hopeful' to be back Advertisement NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps told drivers before the race: 'Together, we are doing something that will be remembered in the history of our great sport.' Bowman said he spent most of his time in Mexico in his hotel bed recovering. His team had Anthony Alfredo on standby to relieve Bowman. Alfredo wasn't needed. Bowman fought through the injury for just his third top-10 finish in the last 10 races. A key moment in the race came when Harris pitted Bowman on Lap 62 from sixth place. Bowman was the second car to come to pit road at the start of that green-flag cycle. Christopher Bell, who went on to finish second started the cycle a lap earlier. NASCAR: Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY Ricky Stenhouse Jr. upset with Carson Hocevar, vows action when 'we get back to the States' Advertisement Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s comments were caught by Carson Hocevar's in-car camera after the race. Harris said that strategy started with Bowman's pit stop on Lap 17. The pit crew took off the wet-weather tires and put on slicks (meant for dry conditions). Harris admits that they probably put the slicks on too early but the stop came at their last chance to pit before the end of the stage at Lap 20 since there are no pit stops allowed in the last two laps of either the first or second stage. There was a benefit to the move. 'That gave us the first jump to track position,' Harris said. 'Then at that point, we knew a lot of guys thought a bunch of rain was coming, so we knew a lot of guys would pit and we stayed out. They pitted before (the end of) stage two, thinking they could go to the rain. We thought the rain was going to be like right at the time we were out of fuel. Advertisement 'We started to get some of those sprinkles right as we were starting to run out of fuel.' NASCAR Mexico (4).jpg What drivers said at Mexico City after Cup race won by Shane van Gisbergen The Trackhouse Racing driver turned in a dominant performance for his second career Cup victory. That's why Bowman pitted at Lap 62. When a caution came out for Carson Hocevar's stalled car at Lap 66, only part of the field had pitted. Those that had, moved to the front of the field. Those that had not — including leader Ty Gibbs — restarted deeper in the field after their pit stop. Bowman restarted third and went on to score a top-five finish. 'It feels good to get this No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team a run that they deserve,' Bowman said. 'We've had a lot of fast race cars and just had days that haven't gone our way. We've had issues and there's been times that I've crashed the car, so to get them a good run after everything this week and how hard they've had to work is great.'
NBC Sports
3 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland and many other had a chance to win the U.S. Open, then Oakmont happened
Watch the best shots and key moments from a chaotic, thrilling final round of the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. OAKMONT, Pa. — Tyrrell Hatton, in the mix in the final round of a major for the first time in the late Sunday gloom at the U.S. Open, watched his tee shot on the 17th hole drift to the right and exhaled. If there was a place to 'miss,' Hatton knew it was to the right of the green on the uphill, 314-yard par 4. And he was right. At just about every place but Oakmont. When Hatton reached the top of the hill, the fiery Englishman whose emotions are never too far from his sleeve discovered his ball had settled into the course's signature knotty rough on a downslope above a greenside bunker. Just about anywhere else, the shot rolls into the sand below, and he splashes out with a chance to maybe even take the lead. Only there isn't anywhere else like the iconic links-style course carved out of the Western Pennsylvania hills. Hatton's pitch from an impossible downhill lie didn't reach the green, and he slammed his club into the ground in protest. A chip and two putts later, he was two back. When his tee shot on the par-4 18th sailed into the rough again, it was over. 'What happened on 17 is going to hurt a lot for a long time,' Hatton said after tying for fourth at 3-over 283, four back of winner J.J. Spaun . 'It was the first time I've been in contention in a major, and that was exciting, and unfortunately, I feel like through a bit of bad luck I had momentum taken away from me and ultimately ended up not being my day.' Asked about what exactly constituted the 'bad luck,' Hatton bristled but only briefly. He'd made his frustration about a course design that includes having most of its 160-plus bunkers well-guarded by an already penal rough well known on Saturday, when he was forced to take an awkward stance to hack out of a sand trap alongside the 15th green on Saturday, leading to a bogey. What happened in the waning minutes of a rain-delayed and chaos-filled final 18 holes of the championship was just more of the same. 'I've missed it in the right spot and got punished, which ultimately I don't think ends up being fair,' Hatton said. That's Oakmont. Besides, Hatton was hardly the only one who found himself creeping up the leaderboard as the frontrunners faltered, only to ultimately succumb themselves. Carlos Ortiz, a member of LIV Golf like Hatton, was part of a five-way tie for the lead on the back nine. Ortiz's tee shot on the 503-yard par-4 15th sailed left, forcing him to punch out to the fairway. A wedge from 134 yards landed 40 feet short of the cup. Three putts later, he was on his way to a 3-over 73 finish and a tie for fourth. 'It was a great week, but obviously I'm disappointed right now the way it happened,' said Ortiz, who became the first Mexican player since 1972 to place inside the top 10. 'I did everything I can.' Golf Channel Staff, Viktor Hovland, who was out on the practice range nearly until dusk on Saturday night trying to find something — anything really — to build on, began the day two shots off the lead but never managed to get to pull even with the scrum in front of him. The Norwegian, who was grouped with Spaun, 'saw a lot of stuff' as the leaderboard continued to shuffle and re-shuffle over the final 90 minutes. Keeping track was difficult, particularly with the electronic boards having 'dangerous weather' alerts splashed across them. Ultimately, Hovland couldn't find the rhythm necessary. Instead, it was Spaun who delivered with a pair of birdies, including a 64-footer on the 18th that immediately etched itself into U.S. Open lore. In a way, the ending helped. Spaun went out and took a tournament up for grabs and grabbed it. Hovland, who called the last of Spaun's 279 strokes 'absolutely filthy,' had to settle for third, his fourth finish inside the top three at a major. All without being the one standing on the green afterward with the trophy in hand. Yet he tried to remain upbeat. He believes he's trending back to where he was in 2023, when he finished tied for seventh at the Masters and then tied for second at the PGA a month later. He's already won this year, though he complained about his form afterward. There was none of that on Sunday. Oakmont is hard enough as it is. No need to pile on. 'I've been tearing myself down a little too much,' Hovland said. 'Even though I do know I need to work on some stuff and get back to where I used to be in a way mechanically, but in the interim, I can still perform at a really high level, and there's a lot of good stuff.'
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hatton, Ortiz and Hovland had a shot at the US Open. Then Oakmont happened
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Tyrrell Hatton, in the mix in the final round of a major for the first time in the late Sunday gloom at the U.S. Open, watched his tee shot on the 17th hole drift to the right and exhaled. If there was a place to 'miss,' Hatton knew it was to the right of the green on the uphill, 314-yard par 4. And he was right. At just about every place but Oakmont. When Hatton reached the top of the hill, the fiery Englishman whose emotions are never too far from his sleeve discovered his ball had settled into the course's signature knotty rough on a downslope above a greenside bunker. Just about anywhere else, the shot rolls into the sand below, and he splashes out with a chance to maybe even take the lead. Only there isn't anywhere else like the iconic links-style course carved out of the Western Pennsylvania hills. Hatton's pitch from an impossible downhill lie didn't reach the green, and he slammed his club into the ground in protest. A chip and two putts later, he was two back. When his tee shot on the par-4 18th sailed into the rough again, it was over. 'What happened on 17 is going to hurt a lot for a long time,' Hatton said after tying for fourth at 3-over 283, four back of winner J.J. Spaun. 'It was the first time I've been in contention in a major, and that was exciting, and unfortunately, I feel like through a bit of bad luck I had momentum taken away from me and ultimately ended up not being my day.' Asked about what exactly constituted the 'bad luck,' Hatton bristled but only briefly. He'd made his frustration about a course design that includes having most of its 160-plus bunkers well-guarded by an already penal rough well known on Saturday, when he was forced to take an awkward stance to hack out of a sand trap alongside the 15th green on Saturday, leading to a bogey. What happened in the waning minutes of a rain-delayed and chaos-filled final 18 holes of the championship was just more of the same. 'I've missed it in the right spot and got punished, which ultimately I don't think ends up being fair,' Hatton said. That's Oakmont. Besides, Hatton was hardly the only one who found himself creeping up the leaderboard as the frontrunners faltered, only to ultimately succumb themselves. Carlos Ortiz, a member of LIV Golf like Hatton, was part of a five-way tie for the lead on the back nine. Ortiz's tee shot on the 503-yard par-4 15th sailed left, forcing him to punch out to the fairway. A wedge from 134 yards landed 40 feet short of the cup. Three putts later, he was on his way to a 3-over 73 finish and a tie for fourth. 'It was a great week, but obviously I'm disappointed right now the way it happened," said Ortiz, who became the first Mexican player since 1972 to place inside the top 10. 'I did everything I can.' Viktor Hovland, who was out on the practice range nearly until dusk on Saturday night trying to find something — anything really — to build on, began the day two shots off the lead but never managed to get to pull even with the scrum in front of him. The Norwegian, who was grouped with Spaun, 'saw a lot of stuff' as the leaderboard continued to shuffle and re-shuffle over the final 90 minutes. Keeping track was difficult, particularly with the electronic boards having 'dangerous weather" alerts splashed across them. Ultimately, Hovland couldn't find the rhythm necessary. Instead, it was Spaun who delivered with a pair of birdies, including a 64-footer on the 18th that immediately etched itself into U.S. Open lore. In a way, the ending helped. Spaun went out and took a tournament up for grabs and grabbed it. Hovland, who called the last of Spaun's 279 strokes 'absolutely filthy,' had to settle for third, his fourth finish inside the top three at a major. All without being the one standing on the green afterward with the trophy in hand. Yet he tried to remain upbeat. He believes he's trending back to where he was in 2023, when he finished tied for seventh at the Masters and then tied for second at the PGA a month later. He's already won this year, though he complained about his form afterward. There was none of that on Sunday. Oakmont is hard enough as it is. No need to pile on. 'I've been tearing myself down a little too much,' Hovland said. 'Even though I do know I need to work on some stuff and get back to where I used to be in a way mechanically, but in the interim, I can still perform at a really high level, and there's a lot of good stuff.' ___
