Shane van Gisbergen’s dominant Mexico City run creates a record-breaking win margin in NASCAR

Shane van Gisbergen broke multiple records when he took the checkered flag at the Viva Mexico 250, after leading a race-high 60 laps. But, perhaps the most notable feat in the Kiwi driver's second NASCAR win was that he was more than 16 seconds clear of the competition when he crossed the finish line.

SVG's margin of 16.567 seconds over runner-up Christopher Bell is the biggest in nearly 16 years in the NASCAR Cup Series. The last time a driver won by more was Kurt Busch in 2009. According to NASCAR Insights, his Mexico City win also makes him the first driver since Marvin Porter to win in two debut races at a track in the Cup Series.

Shane van Gisbergen was battling sickness all weekend but fought through and made sure the dominant No. 88 Safety Culture Chevrolet finished the job. After starting in pole, he regained his lead to win Stage 2. Later on, Trackhouse Racing made a key call under the final caution of the race on Lap 67 to stay on track, trusting all lug nuts were tight after a brief alarm by the driver about a potential loose wheel.

This was the beginning of 33 green flag runs to the finish line, as the 36-year-old kept extending his lead. With 20 laps remaining, SVG's advantage over Alex Bowman was 1.693 seconds which jumped to 2.530 seconds with 15 to go. By the time there were five laps left, it had ballooned to 12.222 seconds. His discipline and pace meant nobody could match him in the closing stint as he lapped four drivers.

This 16.567-second margin was not only the biggest since Kurt Busch's 2009 win at Texas but also stands as the biggest on a road course since Riverside in 1979.

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Shane van Gisbergen was 'praying for the yellow not to come out' on his way to a record-breaking margin

(L-R) Christopher Bell, Shane Van Gisbergen, and Chase Elliott are in victory lane at the NASCAR Cup Series Viva Mexico 250. Source: Getty

Shane van Gisbergen ran on the 2.42-mile Mexican road course with medication after being sick throughout the weekend. Nevertheless, the former Supercars champion showed his road course prowess and booked his place in the NASCAR playoffs in his rookie season with Trackhouse Racing.

In doing so, he now also has the highest winning margin in a Next-Gen car. The next biggest margin of victory under the Next Gen car was 7 seconds, less than half of SVG's 16.567-second mark in Mexico. His win raised eyebrows as he explained he was nervous a yellow might spoil his lead.

"I was definitely praying for the yellow not to come out. But that last stint started, I knew it was 36 laps or something again and I kind of paced myself below 34 and probably could have ripped below 33. But you just don't know how hard to push it… and they kept getting smaller in the mirror and then they're (No. 88 spotter) telling me to slow down," SVG added in the post-race show. (0:24 onwards)

This was NASCAR's first Cup race in Mexico in over 60 years. Shane Van Gisbergen's win here adds to his debut win on the streets of Chicago in 2023, which was also NASCAR's debut at the track. This puts him among a handful of drivers who have won Cup Series races on debut.