Steve Letarte weighs in on SVG’s NextGen adaptability after ‘masterclass’ show in Mexico City

Former stock car racing drivers Jeff Burton and Kyle Petty joined NASCAR analyst Steve Letarte on the 'Inside the Race' podcast. During the interaction, Letarte gave his thoughts on Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen's Mexico City triumph at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

The New Zealand-based driver had a good run at the Viva Mexico 250 on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Gisbergen had his intentions clear since the beginning and secured the pole position for the 241.7-mile race. Following a front-row start, he led 60 laps in the 100-lap event, showcasing his dominance on road courses.

Reflecting on the same, Steve Letarte explained how the Auckland native used the clutch differently to his advantage. The stock car racing journalist stated:

"He said in the post race that he didn't think the clutch was a big advantage. So for the guy, for the fans at home, let's just, I'm going to nerd out for a minute. When a car starts to decelerate, when you lift off the gas, the rear tires go from acceleration to deceleration. They're braking. They're like, longitudinally, pulling the car back. They're slowing the car down. Like, when you lift off, you hear the engine rev. That's because the rear tires are being being turned by the car moving forward. So it's like adding rear brake." [00:22 onwards]

"So very simply, you know, we hear brake bias all the time. You can, you can adjust it front to rear. Well, the other way, you can adjust bias. If you push the clutch in, you reduce the rear braking force by quite a bit, because you take away the engine force," he added.

Steve Letarte was impressed by Shane van Gisbergen's technique at the Mexico City-based track and called it a "masterclass." He captioned the post:

"There’s no doubt SVG is getting more and more comfortable in the Next Gen car. Yesterday he put on a masterclass in Mexico City."

The Trackhouse Racing driver took home the hefty prize pool of $12,561,250 after his maiden win of the 2025 season. Following him, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell ended as the runner-up, and Chase Elliott grabbed P3.

---

"I think boos push him more than cheers": Steve Letarte gave his thoughts on Denny Hamlin's villain persona

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin thrives with his "making no friends attitude and embraced the villain role this year. Hamlin feeds off the negative comments and boos from the crowd and delivers a remarkable performance.

Reflecting on the #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver's attitude, NASCAR analyst Steve Letarte seemed to love his attitude and gave his thoughts during the "NASCAR Inside the Race Live" podcast.

"Hamlin is that beacon of comfort being the protagonist, the antagonist, being the villain. I agree that he thrives in chaos but he also, I think, thrives when he’s not being cheered. I think boos push him more than cheers," he stated.

Steve Letarte further explained:

“I feel like Denny’s almost kind of being that guy a little bit, like he can’t wait for you to tell him he can’t do it. Go ahead, poke him in the chest and tell him he can’t do it.”

Denny Hamlin secured his 57th career win at the Michigan Speedway on June 8, 2025, making it his third win of the 2025 season. He missed out on the Mexico City-based race due to the birth of his third child last week.