Shane van Gisbergen sends a message after overcoming ‘rubbish’ conditions to win the Mexico NASCAR race

Shane van Gisbergen, in his rookie full-time season in the Cup Series, secured his first victory this Sunday in NASCAR's historic international Cup race in Mexico City. Following his win, the two-time race winner reflected on his performance at the Autodromo Hermano Rodriguez.

Shane van Gisbergen pilots the #88 Chevrolet for the Trackhouse Racing Team. Although new to NASCAR, SVG is a veteran driver, having won three Australian Supercars Championships before his move to American stock car racing. He is well known for his prowess on road courses, which aided his win at the road course in Mexico.

Starting the race from pole position, SVG maintained his spot in the top five for the majority of the race. He swept Stage 2 and eventually drove down Victory Lane after a dynamic race in terms of weather conditions. As the race ended, the Kiwi shared a post on X and wrote:

"Cup Series Win at Mexico! What a big couple of days - felt pretty rubbish today but a massive thank you to @SafetyCultureHQ and @TeamTrackhouse. That last stint the car was unreal, watching everyone get smaller in the mirror!"

The Viva Mexico 250 has added another twist to the playoff picture this season. Shane van Gisbergen, despite his average performance in the Cup Series thus far, has locked himself into contention for the title, joining his Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain.

van Gisbergen's victory in Mexico is his career second Cup race triumph. The road course specialist secured his first win in the inaugural Chicago Street Race in 2023.

As things currently stand, Mexico native Daniel Suarez is the only driver left in the TRT garage to secure a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the next Cup Series race is scheduled at Pocono Raceway on June 22.

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When Denny Hamlin sounded the alarm on Shane van Gisbergen: "Just prepare yourselves for it”

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin missed the Cup Series race in Mexico City after being blessed with a son last week. However, much before that, Hamlin had spoken out about Shane van Gisbergen and his ability to join the playoff ranks.

Hamlin compared the situation to Harrison Burton's appearance in the playoffs last season after securing a historic win at Daytona. On the Actions Detrimental podcast, the three-time Daytona 500 winner said:

"We had this whole Harrison Burton discussion last year on a car being 30 something in points and winning and being part of the playoffs. When Shane Van Gisbergen wins a road course this year and has run almost last in all the other races, just prepare yourselves for that's coming." said Hamlin. [31:20 onwards]

Meanwhile, Former Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr.'s brother, Ryan Truex, replaced Hamlin in the #11 Toyota at the Autodromo Hermano Rodriguez, where he finished the race in P23.