It’s been over three months since NASCAR Cup Series cars were forced to make a dreaded right turn, a streak Trackhouse’s Shane Van Gisbergen was happy to see come to an end.

The New Zealand native faced a fight in the first two stages, but a timely caution helped him close the deal in dominating fashion. In a weekend where he faced adversity from the very start, the road course ringer locked himself into the playoffs. From 33rd in the points to racing for a championship, hard to argue anyone had a better weekend than SVG.

So instead of boring you with a recap of this race, let’s dig into this race and find the real storylines. 

¡Viva Mexico!

With early flight delays to multiple rain storms in the area all weekend, NASCAR’s inaugural trip down South was anything, but easy. However, I’d argue that it was worth every headache and cent spent to put on this event.

Starting with the most important part; the racing which for the most part, was utterly fantastic. Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez provided multiple passing zones and three-wide action everywhere on most of the runs. The Next Gen car has its struggles, but this felt like the perfect road course for it.

Off the track, there were awesome scenes in the grandstands. Packed full of fans who were either watching their favorite driver for the first time or becoming new fans at that moment. NASCAR going to this track will be huge for the growth of the sport in a market that has really been reserved for Formula 1.

While I wasn’t there the crowds chasing around drivers, large and small, tell me one thing: this race was always going to be a success. I hope Mexico City becomes a staple on the schedule, not just for the racing, but to help the sport continue to expand to new and diverse fan bases.

Return of the Ringer

It’s no secret that SVG has struggled this season. Even at Circuit of the Americas, he brought his #88 machine home outside the top 5. While it’s been slow going, he proved today why he’s always going to be deemed a threat at road courses. 

After a caution came out with 36 laps to go, SVG said he’d cruise at the restart to save fuel. Luckily for him, he cruised to a five second lead over Alex Bowman. His ability to maintain his stuff over long runs is critical to his success, especially thanks to the third stage being double the length of the first two.

With SVG now locked into the playoffs, he’ll get the chance to compete for a championship. The playoff schedule won’t be too kind to him, but if he continues his growth on ovals, he might become a sneaky threat late into the season.

Remember the Chase?

If you’ve been following NASCAR discourse about underperforming drivers, you’ll likely see one driver named more than anyone else: Chase Elliott. Once known as the future of racing at road courses and a star at Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott has struggled this season compared to his HMS teammates.

While William Byron and Kyle Larson seem to have race winning speed weekly, Elliott has been grinding out decent, but not great, finishes. He was heavily featured in Prime’s marketing as a road course star, despite not winning a road course race since 2021.

Luckily for #9 fans, Elliott returned to form in Mexico, finishing third. Just his fourth top-5 of the season, the son of racing royalty looks to be finding his stride in the Next Gen car. The schedule favors road courses in the ladder half with some tracks Elliott’s already found victory lane, so keep an eye out for #9.

Time for Summer School

Carson Hocevar has been the talk of the NASCAR garage since his surprising run at the Coke 600, where he threatened to take his first win in the Cup Series. Since then, he’s made sure to find his way into the headlines one way or the other and Mexico was no different. 

Late in the race, he locked up his brakes and sent fellow lapped driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spinning. That’s the second wreck involving those two and Stenhouse Jr. was none too please, promising to “beat Hocevar’s a**” when they get back to the United States.

As a pro-Hocevar solider, it’s been a rollercoaster of a stretch for the young gun, but even I can’t defend this. His aggression is so fun, but the mistakes are beginning to add up and he’s not making any friends in the field. He’s got to get to victory lane and establish himself more before driving as he does, otherwise I fear his Pocono and future races will end earlier than they should.

Will Stenhouse Jr. really return the favor at Pocono next week? I don’t think so, but we’re talking about the same guy who sucker punched Kyle Busch over an All-Star race spat, so I’d sleep with one eye open, Carson. 

Kickstart my Heart 

The first ever Cup race in Mexico City was more than just a phenomenal race, it was a much needed jolt for a few drivers who needed something to keep things moving in the right direction, or at least stop the bleeding outright. 

A major winner from today’s race was the 42 of John Hunter Nemecheck. Despite suffering multiple set backs throughout the race, the second generation driver pushed through for an impressive 6th place finish. The finish was needed; Three straight finishes outside of the top 25 in a row before this race. The team will look to continue to cement themselves as the A team for Legacy Motor Club. 

Another winner was 12th place finisher Bubba Wallace. After a 25th place start in the race, it was expected the 31-year-old would have a tough time sledding across the border. After a hard fought race, a top 15 finish was just what the team needed to stay put in the playoff race. Compared to his teammates’ lackluster finishes, it’s a great day for Wallace and Co. 

With the races before the inaugural in-season tournament almost finished, these drivers get a huge boost for their seeding. 

NASCAR on Prime’s final race starts at 11:00 a.m. PST from Pocono Raceway.