Van Gisbergen scores NASCAR breakthrough win

Victory in Mexico has helped three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen clinch a NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs berth.

The New Zealander dominated the inaugural Cup Series race in Mexico City on Monday (AEST), winning from pole position.

Van Gisbergen, 36, converted pole position to his second career win, nearly two years after his stunning debut victory in Chicago.

It had been a torrid season for van Gisbergen heading to Mexico, the Kiwi sitting 33rd with a 25.6 race average and one top 10 in 15 starts.

However, the Kiwi entered this weekend as one of the favourites, and duly raced away to a crushing victory.

Van Gisbergen, the 10th different winner in 16 points races this season, has now clinched a spot in NASCAR’s Playoffs at the first time of asking.

The win came as van Gisbergen battled through illness, saying post-race: “What a week, I’ve really enjoyed myself. I felt pretty rubbish today, leaking out both holes. That wasn’t fun.

“Thank you to SafetyCulture, Trackhouse, Chevy, and ECR Engines. Our car was amazing. I think the #54 [Ty Gibbs] was close, but that last stint, man. What a pleasure ripping lap after lap watching them get smaller and smaller in the mirror. Unreal.”

It comes after the 80-time Supercars race winner clinched a Playoffs spot in last season’s Xfinity Series, courtesy of wins at Portland, Sonoma and Chicago.

Van Gisbergen will go head-to-head with former Supercars rival and reigning champion Will Brown at the Chicago street race event on July 7 (AEST).

Brown will race against van Gisbergen for the first time since the latter’s final Supercars round in November 2023, when they crashed together in Adelaide.

The 2025 Supercars season will resume at the betr Darwin Triple Crown on June 20-22. Tickets for the event are on sale now. International viewers can follow all the action on Superview.