Shane van Gisbergen pulled off a perfect win at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday night as he crossed the line 17 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. The Viva Mexico 250 win also guaranteed him a spot in the playoffs. Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott finished P2 and P3, respectively, but the duo barely threatened van Gisbergen for the top spot.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. enjoyed the New Zealander’s dominant drive from the commentary box. He showered van Gisbergen with due praise, but did it in a way that had everyone laughing.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Delivers Commentary Gold During Shane Van Gisbergen’s Mexico Masterclass
Things didn’t start smoothly for van Gisbergen in Mexico. Travel delays pushed back his arrival, and illness kept him from a scheduled Prime appearance on Sunday morning. But come race time, not even the rain could keep him from victory.
The final 30-plus laps of the race saw van Gisbergen in complete control, leaving no room for anyone to catch him. With Sunday’s win, the Trackhouse driver now has two Cup victories to his name. It was his first win since winning the 2023 Grant Park 220.
The win lifts him from 33rd in the standings right into the playoff zone. Van Gisbergen joined his Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain in the playoffs lineup, who secured his place with a Coca-Cola 600 victory.
Watching from the Amazon Prime booth, Earnhardt was visibly excited to see van Gisbergen take the checkered flag. The NASCAR Hall of Famer was likely even more pleased since van Gisbergen races for his JR Motorsports team.
Earnhardt described the Kiwi driver’s excellence hilariously. “I know this guy,” Earnhardt said. “He’s incredible. He’s an alien!”
Dale just ruining all of SVG’s secrets out here pic.twitter.com/c1oDeImKEb
— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) June 15, 2025
Earnhardt’s Team Sidelined Van Gisbergen for the Mexico Xfinity Race
Van Gisbergen was also expected to feature in the Xfinity Series race, The Chilango 150, at the same venue a day earlier. However, JR Motorsports did not give him the green signal to suit up on Saturday and chose to field Daniel Suárez instead.
It’s easy to see why JR Motorsports chose Daniel Suárez for The Chilango 150. The Monterrey-born driver was the local favorite, and his inclusion generated plenty of buzz around the team. Suárez also repaid the faith by delivering a brilliant win.
Earlier, van Gisbergen was the frontrunner to participate in both races because of his road course expertise. With years of experience in the Supercars Championship, he seemed to be the perfect candidate in JR Motorsports’ roster to take the wheel at the 2.674-mile track in the Mexican capital.
However, Suárez got the nod because of better marketing prospects, and in the end, it proved to be a winning call for JR Motorsports.