Shane van Gisbergen dominates NASCAR race in Mexico with largest victory margin

Shane van Gisbergen secured a dominant victory in Mexico City — finishing more than 16 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell in second place, marking the largest winning margin in a NASCAR Cup race since 2009.

“That’s why I’m here, to win road races. But I’m not here to run last on the ovals either. I need to keep getting better to justify being a Cup Series driver,” stated van Gisbergen.

While brilliant on road courses, the driver’s main challenge lies in oval tracks — which make up 30 of the 36 races in the Cup Series schedule.

Van Gisbergen’s season started with disappointing results — six finishes of 31st or worse in the first eight oval races. However, dramatic improvement has been evident in recent weeks with three top-20 finishes in the last four races.

The driver’s best oval track achievements include:

• 12th place finish with Kaulig Racing at Martinsville last season
• 14th position in this year’s Coca-Cola 600
• Third place at Atlanta Motor Speedway while competing in Xfinity Series