Trackhouse Racing’s Shane Van Gisbergen, in his first fulltime season in the NASCAR Cup Series ranks, was quite optimistic about his chances this weekend at the series’ first ever race in Mexico City. After all, the 36-year old New Zealander and former Australian Super Cars champion won the inaugural Chicago Street Race in 2023.
The driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Chevrolet wouldn’t necessarily come out and declare himself the odds-on favorite for this weekend, but Van Gisbergen did smile when asked about his chances.
“I don’t know, that’s your guys’ jobs, but I do know that we will be competitive if we get everything right,’’ Van Gisbergen said. “It’s so hard to know what the car’s going to be like – it’s a different track, how it’s going to be affected by the altitude and the surface. … It’s going to be interesting to feel what our cars are like in these conditions. But yeah, we should be up front. These are the types of tracks I’m good at, so we’ll see.”
Ironically, the Mexico City road course race comes right after Van Gisbergen has shown considerable progress on ovals – certainly a different style of racing compared to the road courses where he established his career. He’s finished top-20 in three of the last four races, including a 14th at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“You just feel the confidence in the team and even the pit crew guys,’’ he said of the progress. “Everyone’s just uplifted the last few weeks. Not that everyone was down, but it was a bit of a grind. The last few weeks, things have started to come a lot easier.
“Our pit stop averages are much quicker. Just all the simple things were getting a lot better and better. My restarts are finally in the positive, with it being well negative for the first half of the year. Every single area, we seem to be getting a lot better in, so it’s been fun.”
- Elliott’s Top-Five at Pocono Another Step — But Not the One He Wants Most - June 23, 2025
- Denny Hamlin Back on Track and Back on Top - June 21, 2025
- Van Gisbergen’s Playoff Push Gets Real After Mexico Masterclass - June 21, 2025