In the current digital age, antivirus software is no longer a choice but a requirement. With cyberattacks like malware, ransomware, phishing, and spyware evolving daily, it’s crucial to have adequate antivirus protection for both personal and business use. The right antivirus software can keep you safe, safeguard sensitive data, and maintain the system’s health.
This article provides a comprehensive comparison of the top antivirus software in 2025, highlighting the key features to consider when selecting the right option.
Why Antivirus Software Matters
Cybersecurity threats are becoming increasingly complex and frequent. Antivirus software acts as your first line of defense, detecting, blocking, and removing harmful programs before they can damage your device or steal your data. Whether you’re browsing the web, downloading files, or opening emails, antivirus software works in the background to ensure your safety.
In addition to real-time protection, most antivirus software offers supplementary features, including firewall management, parental controls, password managers, and secure browsing capabilities.
Best Antivirus Software in 2025
Below is a comparison of some of the most reliable antivirus software based on performance, features, usability, and pricing:
1. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Bitdefender is always among the top-rated antivirus software. It provides multi-layer ransomware protection, secure VPN, web attack blocking, and real-time threat detection. Bitdefender has a minimal impact on system performance and an intuitive interface.
2. Norton 360: Norton 360 offers a comprehensive set of tools, ranging from antivirus and firewall protection to a password manager, cloud backup, and dark web monitoring. It is perfect for people who prefer a do-it-all security suite. Norton also offers mobile protection and parental control capabilities.
3. Kaspersky Total Security: Kaspersky offers excellent malware detection rates and includes additional features such as encrypted file storage, webcam protection, and a VPN. It has an excellent rating for security and is user-friendly. Kaspersky’s light software ensures that it won’t bog down your computer.
4. McAfee Total Protection: McAfee provides cross-platform protection, identity theft protection, and performance enhancement tools. It provides a personal firewall and safe web browsing functionality. McAfee’s user-friendly dashboard is perfect for both beginners and experts to maintain their digital security.
5. Avast Premium Security: Avast is renowned for its robust free edition, but its paid suite offers additional features, including real-time Wi-Fi security notifications, ransomware protection, and sandbox analysis for suspicious files. Avast also has a secure browser to maximize web privacy.
How to Select the Best Antivirus Software
When choosing antivirus software, look at these key factors:
Protection Capabilities: Select software that regularly ranks high in independent lab tests for malware and virus detection.
Performance Impact: Select solutions that do not slow down your system when scanning or using it daily.
Ease of Use: A user-friendly and clean interface means having your antivirus managed easily and hassle-free.
Additional Features: Consider seeking out additional features such as VPNs, password management tools, or identity theft protection, depending on your specific requirements.
Device Compatibility: Check that the software is compatible with all your devices, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Pricing and Value: Compare plans to determine if the included features are worth the price.
Security in a Marketing World
Businesses compete today in more digital landscapes, and platforms such as Linkhouse realize the importance of maintaining private marketing information and customer communications. Through secure access controls and encrypted content delivery capabilities, Linkhouse demonstrates how digital solutions can strike a balance between productivity and security without compromise.
Conclusion
Selecting the right antivirus software is crucial for maintaining digital security. With numerous options available, it’s essential to assess the features, protection levels, and usability of each program. Whether you’re securing a personal laptop or a network of business systems, antivirus software helps ensure your devices remain protected from threats in a constantly changing cyber landscape.
Rookie Shane van Gisbergen withstood a challenging start to his first full-time NASCAR Cup Series campaign and the series’ inaugural race event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. He captured a dominant victory from pole position in the Viva Mexico 250 on Sunday, June 15.
The three-time Supercars champion from Auckland, New Zealand, led five times for a race-high 60 of the 100 scheduled laps. He led the field to the green flag from pole position for the first time in his Cup career. Despite battling illness and wet, slippery conditions at the start of the event, van Gisbergen dominated.
He led 11 of the first 18 scheduled laps before opting to pit for slick tires before the first stage’s conclusion. He then rallied to assume the lead with two laps remaining in the second stage period, capturing the stage victory.
Restarting with the lead in the final stage with 51 laps remaining, van Gisbergen continued to dominate at the front. He then strategically pitted under green flag conditions with 37 laps remaining. Following a late caution period, two laps after he pitted, van Gisbergen cycled back into the lead. Then, the majority of the field, led by Ty Gibbs, pitted their respective entries.
Van Gisbergen outdueled Christopher Bell during the next (and final) restart with 32 laps remaining. He never looked back as he proceeded to extend his advantage to as high as 16 seconds. Van Gisbergen cruised to his first elusive Cup Series victory of the season and into Playoff eligibility.
On-track qualifying determined the starting lineup on Saturday, June 14. Rookie Shane van Gisbergen notched his first Cup career pole position with a lap at 93.904 mph in 92.776 seconds. Joining van Gisbergen on the front row was Ryan Preece, with a qualifying lap at 93.839 mph in 92.840 seconds.
Before the event, Noah Gragson dropped to the rear of the field in a backup car after wrecking his primary car during practice.
Green Flag
When the green flag waved, Shane van Gisbergen dueled with Ryan Preece and teammate Ross Chastain for the lead. The field fanned out through the frontstretch. Van Gisbergen gained the upper hand, muscling his No. 88 Safety Culture Chevrolet entry ahead through the first three braking turns.
Meanwhile, Carson Hocevar, who was racing in the mid-pack region, went off the course entering Turn 3. Amid the on-track bumps within the field and Hocevar’s off-track excursion, the event remained under green flag conditions. Van Gisbergen led from a straightaway in between Turns 3 and 4 and through the Esses (a series of right- and left-hand turns) from Turns 5 to 10.
As the field approached the stadium, section turns in Turn 11, the event’s first caution flew for precipitation. The field returned to the frontstretch under a cautious pace. Van Gisbergen, who was battling illness, led the first lap.
He was followed by teammate Ross Chastain, Preece, Michael McDowell, and Ty Gibbs, respectively. During the caution period, with on-track precipitation increasing, nearly the entire field, led by van Gisbergen, pitted for wet-weather tires. Chris Buescher and Austin Cindric remained on the track on their slick tires.
The beginning of the subsequent restart on the fourth lap featured both Buescher and Cindric struggling to launch on their slick tires. Chastain attempted to make a bold right-hand move to gain the lead. In the process, Ty Gibbs drove alongside Chastain and overtook him. He then challenged Cindric for the lead through the frontstretch.
Buescher began to struggle with maintaining pace with the leaders and dropped out of the top-five mark. Gibbs emerged with the lead through the first three turns. The field behind fanned out, bumped, and jostled through the wet, slippery conditions. The field continued to muscle through the damp conditions through every turn and straightaway. Gibbs, however, retained the lead for a complete cycle before leading the following lap.
On the sixth lap, the event’s second caution flew. Kyle Busch, racing within the top-15 mark, veered sideways while trying to brake his No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet entry amid the slick conditions entering the first turn. In the process of his spin, Busch collided with the rear of Justin Hale, proceeded to spin, and collided with both Kyle Larson and AJ Allmendinger.
Zane Smith and Chase Briscoe would also veer sideways off the course’s first turn. Smith slipped sideways on the slick course and collided with Briscoe, while the rest of the field managed to remain on the course and dodge the carnage. At the moment of caution, Gibbs retained the lead while van Gisbergen, Chastain, Ryan Preece, and Daniel Suarez were scored in the top five, respectively.
During the caution period, some, including William Byron, Buescher, and Joey Logano, pitted their respective entries. The rest, led by Ty Gibbs, including Cindric, who was still racing on slick tires, remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, Busch and Larson nursed their damaged entries to the garage for repairs.
As the event restarted under green on the eighth lap, Gibbs and van Gisbergen dueled for the lead in front of a stacked field that had fanned out through the frontstretch. Like the previous restart, Gibbs gained the upper hand by muscling his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE entry ahead through the first three braking turns.
Van Gisbergen, however, would get beneath Gibbs through the straightaway in between Turns 3 and 4. He then muscled ahead with the lead through the latter turn and the Esses. Despite nearly getting sideways through the Esses, van Gisbergen maintained the lead through the stadium turns and fended off Gibbs entering the frontstretch to lead the following lap.
Through the first 15 scheduled laps, van Gisbergen was leading by five seconds over runner-up Gibbs. Preece, Chastain, and Ryan Blaney occupied the top five spots ahead of Ty Dillon, Suarez, Michael McDowell, Todd Gilliland, and Christopher Bell, respectively.
Behind Erik Jones, Cole Custer, Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar, and Bubba Wallace were racing in the top 15 ahead of Tyler Reddick, rookie Riley Herbst, Joey Logano, Josh Berry, and AJ Allmendinger. Ryan Truex, Alex Bowman, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, and Austin Dillon trailed in the top 25 ahead of Cody Ware, Chris Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Noah Gragson, and John Hunter Nemechek.
Then on Lap 17 and with the track conditions slowly transitioning to dry conditions, select names that included Gibbs, Custer, Logano, Bowman, Byron, Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Cody Ware, Buescher, Gragson, and Nemechek pitted their respective entries for slick tires. On the following lap, the leader van Gisbergen and Ty Dillon pitted before pit road was closed, signifying the upcoming conclusion of a stage period. Van Gisbergen’s move allowed Preece to cycle the No. 60 Kroger Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry into the lead.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 20, Preece muscled to his second Cup stage victory of the 2025 season. Ryan Blaney followed suit in second. Chastain, McDowell, Gilliland, Erik Jones, Hocevar, Bubba Wallace, Elliott, and Suarez were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, van Gisbergen and Gibbs were mired in 17th and 18th, respectively.
Under the stage break, a majority of the field led by Preece pitted their respective entries, primarily for slick tires. The rest, led by McDowell, remained on the track. Among those who also stayed on the track with McDowell were Carson Hocevar, Suarez, Stenhouse, van Gisbergen, Gibbs, Cindric, Bell, Ty Dillon, Custer, Logano, Bowman, and Byron.
Stage 2
The second stage period started on Lap 24 as Spire Motorsports’ McDowell and Hocevar occupied the front row. At the start, McDowell retained the lead through the frontstretch and in front of the field that had fanned out. With Gragson spinning in the first turn, Suarez made his move beneath McDowell through the first three turns. He then muscled into the lead to the delight of his home crowd.
Gibbs and van Gisbergen both overtook McDowell on the track to complete the top three spots. Suarez retained the lead through the Esses before Gibbs drew alongside Suarez exiting Turn 10. They remained even entering Turn 11 before Gibbs reassumed the lead through the stadium turns. Gibbs would proceed to lead the next lap while Suarez fended off teammate van Gisbergen for the runner-up spot.
Over the next five laps (Laps 25 to 29), a handful of on-track incidents and various pit strategies ensued. For the on-track incidents, Nemechek spun in Turn 3 on Lap 26 while racing within the top-20 mark. Gilliland, who was also racing in the top-20 mark, spun in Turn 14 a lap later.
As for the pit strategies, Hocevar, Suarez, McDowell, and Stenhouse pitted under green for slick tires. Meanwhile, Gibbs was leading by less than two seconds over van Gisbergen at the Lap 30 mark. Bell, Cindric, Custer, Bowman, Byron, Ty Dillon, Keselowski, and Logano all pursued in the top 10, respectively.
On Lap 31, the caution flew when Ryan Truex, subbing for Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Yahoo! Toyota Camry XSE entry, slipped sideways. He spun from off the course in Turn 9 while racing outside the top-20 mark. During the caution period, select names that included Custer and Preece pitted their respective entries while the rest, led by Gibbs, remained on the track.
When the event restarted under green on Lap 34, the field fanned out through the frontstretch. Gibbs, van Gisbergen and Cindric all dueled against one another in a three-wide formation for the lead. Through the first three turns, van Gisbergen battled alongside Gibbs for the lead as Keselowski went off the course.
With the rest of the field managing to navigate through the first three turns without igniting another wreck, Gibbs maintained the lead from Turn 4 to the Esses, Turn 10, and the stadium turns. He cycled back to the frontstretch and led the following lap. As Gibbs led, van Gisbergen retained second place over Cindric, Bel,l and Byron. Alex Bowman, Ty Dillon, Blaney, Elliott, and Austin Dillon finished in the top 10, respectively.
At the Lap 40 mark, Gibbs stabilized his lead to nine-tenths of a second over van Gisbergen. Bell, Cindric, and Bowman were racing in the top-five mark ahead of Byron, Blaney, Elliott, Ty Dillon, and Wallace, respectively. Meanwhile, Logano, who raced off the course in Turn 4 on Lap 35, was mired back in 24th place. Erik Jones, who pitted to have a flat left-front tire changed, had dropped to 33rd place on the leaderboard.
Another lap later, pit strategies ensued as Cindric, Ty Dillon, and Keselowski pitted their respective entries under green. More names, including Byron, Elliott, Wallace, Bery, Logano, Reddick, Gragson, and the leader Gibbs, pitted during the next two laps before pit road became inaccessible due to the conclusion of the second stage. With Gibbs pitting, van Gisbergen, who had been slowly reeling in on Gibbs for the lead, assumed the top spot.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 45 and with potential threats of rain looming, van Gisbergen claimed his first Cup stage victory of the 2025 season. Bell trailed in second place by only two seconds. Bowman, Blaney, McDowell, Austin Dillon, Buescher, Herbst, Hocevar, and Suarez were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, Gibbs was mired in 21st place ahead of Cindric, Elliott, Byron, and Wallace.
During the stage break, some led by Blaney and including Austin Dillon, Stenhouse, Allmendinger, Gilliland, Katherine Legge, Reddick, and Cody Ware pitted their respective entries. The rest, led by van Gisbergen, remained on the track.
Final Stage
With 51 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as van Gisbergen and Bell occupied the front row. At the start, van Gisbergen and Bell fiercely dueled for the lead through the frontstretch as the field behind fanned out. Entering the first braking turn, van Gisbergen appeared to have the edge, but he slightly over-drove the first turn.
As van Gisbergen was drawn in a side-by-side battle with Bell, McDowell drove off the course through the first three turns while the field behind bumped and scattered. More names that included Briscoe and Logano would also drive off the course. Amid the on-track chaos through the first three turns, Bell managed to outduel van Gisbergen for the lead in Turn 4 as the former proceeded to lead through the Esses.
Despite having van Gisbergen trying to reel in from behind, Bell retained the lead through the stadium turns and back to the frontstretch as he led the following lap. By then, Bowman, McDowell, and Buescher trailed in the top five while Chastain proceeded after he spun in the stadium turns.
With 49 laps remaining, more on-track issues ensued as Stenhouse, who was racing in the top-24 spot, received a bump from Keselowski in Turn 15 that sent him spinning. Howeve,r he managed to continue without drawing a caution. Not long after, van Gisbergen drew alongside Bell exiting the stadium turns before he rocketed past the latter prior to the following lap.
With Bell in pursuit, van Gisbergen proceeded to lead by nine-tenths of a second with 45 laps remaining while McDowell, Bowman, and Gibbs trailed in the top five, respectively.
Down to the final 40 laps of the event, van Gisbergen extended his advantage to more than four seconds over Bell. Third-place McDowell and fourth-place Gibbs both trailed by five seconds. Meanwhile, fifth-place Cindric trailed by 11 seconds while Bowman, Elliott, Buescher, Suarez and Custer were racing in the top 10, respectively.
Then a lap later, Bell surrendered the runner-up spot to pit his No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE entry under green. During the next lap, more drivers, including Bowman, Buescher, Preece pitted their respective entries. Leader van Gisbergen pitted with 37 laps remaining. By the time van Gisbergen returned to the track, he managed to blend ahead of Bell while Gibbs, who had yet to pit, and cycled into the lead.
Then, with 35 laps remaining, the caution flew due to Hocevar spinning and stalling his entry in Turn 14. During the caution period, a majority of the field led by Gibbs pitted their respective entries. The rest led by van Gisbergen and including Bell, Bowman, Custer, Buescher, Briscoe, Nemechek, Chastain, Herbst and Ryan Truex remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, van Gisbergen reported potential concerns of having a loose wheel on his entry, but he opted to remain on the track with the lead.
The start of the following restart with 32 laps remaining featured van Gisbergen and Bell dueling for the lead through the frontstretch. But van Gisbergen muscled ahead and retained the lead through the first three turns. Behind van Gisbergen, Bowman overtook Bell for the runner-up spot while Truex got sideways as the field bumped and jostled for spots.
With every competitor proceeding without drawing a caution through the first three turns, van Gisbergen led entering Turn 4, the Esses and the stadium turns before he cycled back to the frontstretch and led the next lap. As Bowman, Bell, Nemechek and Custer trailed in the top five, Gibbs was mired back in ninth place behind Elliott while van Gisbergen continued to lead with 30 laps remaining.
Over the next five laps (Laps 71 to 75), a handful of on-track incidents occurred. Notably, Logano sent Austin Dillon for a spin in the stadium section turns with 28 laps remaining. During the following lap, Byron spun Herbst just past Turn 11 while both were battling for 13th place. As Herbst attempted to spin his car and continue straight, he nearly collided with Stenhouse. But they both managed to continue without drawing a caution.
Amid the incidents, Keselowski was penalized for cutting the course. Meanwhile, van Gisbergen continued to lead by one-and-a-half seconds over Bowman. Bell, Nemechek and Custer retained the remaining top-five spots. Behind Elliott, Buescher, Chastain, Gibbs, and McDowell occupied the remaining top-10 spots.
With 20 laps remaining and reports of rain being reported around the course, van Gisbergen maintained the lead that stood to more than a second over Bowman. Bell, Elliott and Nemechek were scored in the top five. Behind, Gibbs, who was trying to carve his way back to the front, was mired back in ninth place behind Custer, Buescher and Chastain. Briscoe occupied 10th place. Throughout the next five laps, Bell battled and overtook Bowman for the runner-up spot while van Gisbergen extended his lead to nearly five seconds with 15 laps remaining.
Down to the final 10 laps of the event, van Gisbergen retained the lead by more than six seconds over Bell. Bowman, Elliott and Nemechek trailed in the top five, with Nemechek trailing by as far back as 14 seconds. By then, Custer, Buescher, McDowell, Chastain and Briscoe followed suit in the top 10. Both Stenhouse and Hocevar were trying to rally from a run-in in the stadium section turns, where Hocevar ran into the rear of Stenhouse and sent the latter getting sideways while the former went off the course.
With five laps remaining, van Gisbergen’s advantage grew to 12 seconds over Bell. Elliott, Bowman and Nemechek trailed by 12, 14 and 16 seconds, respectively. Van Gisbergen, who was on cruise control at the front, stretched his advantage to as high as 14 seconds over Bell during the next three laps. Fifth-place Nemechek pursued but was as far back as 26 seconds.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, van Gisbergen remained in the lead by nearly 17 seconds over Bell. With Bell too far behind to cut the deficit, van Gisbergen was able to smoothly navigate his way through Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez’s series of turns from the first three sections to the Esses and the stadium section turns. Ultimately, he cycled back to the frontstretch and streaked across the finish line to claim the checkered flag by 16 seconds over Bell.
With the victory, van Gisbergen achieved his second career win in the Cup Series division. He also became the 144th competitor overall to achieve multiple wins in NASCAR’s premier series and the fifth competitor overall to notch his first two Cup career victories on new venues. The victory, van Gisbergen’s first since the Chicago Street Course in July 2023, was the sixth of the 2025 season for the Chevrolet nameplate and the second for Trackhouse Racing.
As a bonus, van Gisbergen, who came into the event mired in 33rd place in the driver’s standings, automatically earned a guaranteed spot in the 2025 Playoffs. It will mark his first-ever appearance in the Cup Series’ post-season field as a title contender. Before van Gisbergen’s Mexico City victory, he had only finished in the top 10 once, which was a sixth-place run at Circuit of the Americas in early March.
Van Gisbergen’s Mexico City victory also capped off an eventful weekend for the New Zealander. In addition to managing his illness and on-track slick conditions, he and several Trackhouse Racing crew personnel faced dilemmas in traveling from North Carolina to Mexico. This was due to their chartered plane encountering engine issues before the race weekend. Eventually, all personnel, including van Gisbergen, were able to travel to Mexico between Friday and Saturday of the race weekend.
“What a week,” van Gisbergen, who kicked a rugby ball in the low stadium section, said on Prime Video. “I’ve really enjoyed myself here. I felt pretty rubbish today. Leaking out both holes, that wasn’t fun, but thank you to Safety Culture, Trackhouse, Chevy and ECR Engines. Our car was amazing.
“I think [Ty Gibbs] was close, but that last stint man, what a pleasure just ripping lap after lap and watching them get smaller in the mirror. Unreal. I’ve been privileged to have some great [cars] in my time, but when I go slow, I just lose concentration. I was just trying to stay in a rhythm and a routine. Man, that was epic.”
Christopher Bell, who led four laps, settled in second place for a third time in 2025. Chase Elliott, who was pursuing an eighth career road course victory, finished in third place. It was his fourth top-five result of the year. Bell and Elliott celebrated with Suarez on the podium. It was part of NASCAR’s first inception of featuring podium celebrations following a race.
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – JUNE 15: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #88 Safety Culture Chevrolet (C) winner, Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Mobil 1 Toyota (L) second place, and Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 LLumar Chevrolet, third place celebrate in victory lane the NASCAR Cup Series Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on June 15, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images).
Alex Bowman rallied from finishing no higher than 29th over his previous three starts to finish in fourth place. Michael McDowell achieved his first top-five result of the year after overtaking John Hunter Nemechek in the closing laps. Nemechek, Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer, William Byron and Chris Buescher completed the top 10 in the final running order.
Notably, Ty Gibbs, who led 27 laps, fell back to 11th place after he was unable to carve his way back to the front following the final restart. In addition, hometown hero Daniel Suarez, who won the Xfinity Series event at Mexico City, ended up in 19th place. Ryan Truex ended up in 23rd place while subbing for Denny Hamlin after Hamlin opted not to compete in the event following the birth of his third child.
Notably, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished in 27th place, confronted Carson Hocevar on pit road during post-race activities following their late run-in. This marked their second run-in of the year. Their first run-in at Nashville Superspeedway two races ago, when Hocevar wrecked Stenhouse.
There were 14 lead changes for eight different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 16 laps. In addition, 31 of 37 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the 16th event of the 2025 Cup Series season, William Byron leads the regular-season standings by 67. He is followed by teammate Kyle Larson, 80 over Christopher Bell, 104 over teammate Chase Elliott, and 110 over Denny Hamlin.
Results:
1. Shane van Gisbergen, 60 laps led, Stage 2 winner
2. Christopher Bell, four laps led
4. Alex Bowman
5. Michael McDowell, two laps led
6. John Hunter Nemechek
7. Chase Briscoe
8. Cole Custer
9. William Byron, one lap led
10. Chris Buescher, one lap led
11. Ty Gibbs, 27 laps led
12. Bubba Wallace
13. AJ Allmendinger
14. Ryan Blaney
15. Ryan Preece, four laps led, Stage 1 winner
16. Ross Chastain
17. Erik Jones
18. Austin Cindric, one lap led
19. Daniel Suarez
20. Tyler Reddick
21. Joey Logano
22. Todd Gilliland
23. Ryan Truex
24. Justin Haley
25. Brad Keselowski
26. Josh Berry
27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
28. Austin Dillon
29. Riley Herbst
30. Noah Gragson
31. Cody Ware
32. Katherine Legge, one lap down
33. Ty Dillon, one lap down
34. Carson Hocevar, one lap down
35. Zane Smith – OUT, Drivetrain
36. Kyle Larson, 42 laps down
37. Kyle Busch – OUT, Accident
Next on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, for The Great American Getaway 400. The event is scheduled to take place next Sunday, June 22, and will air at 2 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Boot Barn Chevrolet Team Slowed By On-Track Incident in Mexico City
Finish: 28th Start: 21st Points: 27th
“I’m proud of everyone in NASCAR for coming together to bring our sport to Mexico City. I just wish our Boot Barn Chevrolet team could have had a better end to the race weekend. We had some positives, such as finishing sixth in Stage 2 to earn stage points. We were just too tight for the majority of the race. Our RCR team kept fighting and put us in position to salvage a solid finish. Unfortunately, I got spun with less than 25 to go and we couldn’t make up any ground in the final stretch. That’s how these races go sometimes. We’ll take it and move on to Pocono.” -Austin Dillon
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Team Retire From Mexico City Race Early Following Lap Six Spin
Finish: 37th Start: 11th Points: 18th
“Frustrating day for everyone on the Lucas Oil Chevrolet team. We were racing in the rain to start the race. I went down into Turn 11 and got on the brakes pretty hard and everything was fine. Everything was comfortable. Our Chevy stopped really good, and I thought ‘okay, I can be a little bit more aggressive this time’. Getting back into Turn 1, I went to the 10 marker. If there is a 10 marker, it’s the bridge, and we’ve been going much further past the bridge all day on dries. So on wet tires, I figured it was going to be fine. As soon as I went to the brakes, it was just on ice and I was sliding. For about a second and a half, I was just trying to figure out which direction to go, and then I was like, ‘I’ve got to turn this thing around backwards because I’m going to nail some people’. I hate it for all those that were involved in my mishap, and I hate it for Lucas Oil, RCR, ECR, and all of the guys on the No. 8 team. Yesterday in qualifying, our Chevy was really good. It felt like we were going to be really sporty in the dry. I hate that the rain came. We’ll just have to fight for more points another week.” -Kyle Busch
AJ Allmendinger qualified eighth for the Viva Mexico 250. On lap one, the caution was displayed for rain and the No. 16 came to pit road for wet weather tires. Allmendinger drove up to seventh before being involved in a wreck on lap seven, bringing out the caution. The team came to pit road for damage repair and restarted in 32nd place. Despite the damage, Allmendinger was still able to make passes, gaining nine positions in four laps. Before the end of the stage, the No. 16 was running top five lap times. During the stage break, Allmendinger pit for one-lap scuff tires to restart the second stage. Under the caution on lap 31, Allmendinger told the team the No. 16 Chevy overall was not bad with the damage, but he lacked overall speed. During green flag pit stops, Allmendinger drove up to 14th before the caution flag was displayed on lap 65. He came to pit road for tires and fuel and restarted in 21st. Allmendinger drove up to 13th place, where he ended the race.
“Honestly, I felt like we were going to have a really good car, even the way it felt in the rain. It’s easy to say that, but I really thought the car had a lot of speed. For as destroyed as it was, we still had decent speed and it drove well on wet and dry tires. I definitely think we could have ran top five all day, but unfortunately, we’ll never know. Just proud of the guys; from the way we started this weekend, we kept fighting and making it better. We had something there to be competitive and have a really good run. Our 16 group did everything they could to keep me out there and I’m never going to quit on them. just absolutely frustrating day, but proud of the effort for days like this, just keep fighting.” – AJ Allmendinger
As the green flag waved for the Viva Mexico 250, rain began pouring, and the caution flag waved before completing a lap, allowing teams to change to wet-weather tires. Restarting 20th on lap four, Dillon raced his way through the top 20, avoiding a pileup on lap seven. He came out on the other end in 10th place, working his way up to sixth place by lap 10. Crew chief Andrew Dickeson told the No. 10 crew to get dry-weather tires ready, as the rain had stopped. He made the call with three laps remaining in the stage to pit for dry tires, and Dillon stayed out during the first stage break to start the second stage from ninth place. The team planned to short-pit the stage, as Dillon had worked his way up to seventh, before pitting under green with five laps remaining in the second stage. He finished the second stage in 26th place and stayed out during the break to start the final stage from 20th. Following a lap-64 caution, a stack up on the restart caused Dillon to sustain a right-front flat, forcing him to pit under green for fresh tires. He was trapped a lap down, as the field stayed green for the remainder of the race. He was scored 33rd.
About Kaulig Racing
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 27 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (June 15, 2025) – The NASCAR Cup Series went international for its first ever points-paying race in Mexico City for Sunday’s Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. LEGACY MC teammates, John Hunter Nemechek piloting the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE and Erik Jones in the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE were ready to take on the foreign road course. Shane Van Gisbergen led the field to the green flag after Saturday’s qualifying session was shortened by 17 minutes due to weather. At the end of the race, it was Van Gisbergen who defended his pole and took home the win in Mexico City.
Below is a look at how the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entries fared:
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE RACE RECAP: START: 32ND | FINISH: 6TH | POINTS: 23RD It only took one lap for the rain to make its way into the storyline in Mexico City. On Lap 2 the field pitted for rain tires and John Hunter Nemechek found himself in the 29th position as the race restarted. Lap 6 saw another caution and Nemechek said the No. 42 Pye-Barker Toyota needed some grip as he found himself in the 23rd position. On Lap 10 Nemechek ran off course due to the slick conditions as it continued to rain and fell to 31st. On Lap 17 the No. 42 pitted for tires and fuel, as part of their strategy. Nemechek would finish Stage 1 in 31st place.
Nemechek would start Stage 2 from the 18th position. While running 20th he spun during Lap 25 into the grass falling back to 32nd in the running order. He pitted again on Lap 32 under yellow for tires and fuel, stating the car lacked grip. Crew chief Travis Mack called for an adjustment and Nemechek restarted the race in 26th. He finished Stage 2 in the 14th position.
At the stage break Nemechek told Mack that he was a little tight on entry and free on exit, but Mack said he was “looking good”. More rain began to threaten the race on Lap 46.
Nemechek started the final stage in the 12th position. By Lap 50 Nemechek powered his way to ninth. On Lap 60 Nemechek was running 18th when green flag pit stops started. On Lap 64 Nemechek pitted under green and he made it to the end of pit road when a caution flag flew. He restarted seventh and in one lap clawed his way to fourth in the running order with 30 to go.
In the closing laps, the tire wear proved to be what ultimately caused Nemechek to forfeit fifth, and he brought the No. 42 Pye-Barker Toyota home in sixth, his best career finish on a road course.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTABLE:
“Hats off to this whole No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team. The Pye-Barker colors looked really good on our Camry this weekend, and I’m super stoked on a sixth-place finish. Our road course program has not been good here at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, so a solid run for us after the last three weeks we’ve had – two wrecks, and not so good run in Nashville – we needed this as a team to get back on track. I had a lot of text messages from my wife (Taylor) and had a lot of text messages from Jimmie (Johnson, co-owner, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB) yesterday – I was pretty down after qualifying, and beating myself up pretty bad, but we executed during the race. I got spun out a couple of times and still came home sixth. Hats off to Travis (Mack, crew chief) on the strategy. He called a really good race, and we were able to execute and come home sixth. Proud of the day.”
(Photo Credit: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB / NKP)
ERIK JONES NO. 43 FAMILY DOLLAR TOYOTA CAMRY XSE RACE RECAP: START: 14TH | FINISH: 17TH | POINTS: 22ND Erik Jones was ready for a new challenge as he took on NASCAR’s Viva Mexico 250 in Mexico City. After rain brought out the early caution, the No. 43 Family Dollar team brought Jones down pit road to put on a set of rain tires after starting 14th for the inaugural event. He restarted in the same position and despite being cautious in the rain, he was able to work his way up into the top-10 before putting on slick tires as the rain went away. Crew chief Ben Beshore opted to keep his driver on the track while others were short pitting the first stage to finish sixth and gain five valuable stage points.
This strategy caused Jones to be stuck deep in the field for the start of Stage 2 where Jones restarted 22nd. He was attempting to make moves on the opening laps of the stage when he was shoved off course by a spin and fell back to 29th. He kept his head in the game though and found himself back in 22nd by the lap-32 caution. Trouble hit during the next green flag run though as Jones was forced to come to pit road for an unscheduled stop on lap 38 for a flat left front tire. He stayed on the lead lap but was far behind the leaders in 33rd, where he finished as the rest of the stage went green.
In the final stage, Jones was once again deep in the field after restarting 32nd. In one lap though, he drove his way all the way up to 20th as he used advantage of the speed he had found on the restart. He continued to work his way up to eighth by the lap-65 caution where he took a trip down pit road for four tires and fuel. Jones restarted 16th and avoided chaos on the first few turns to battle in the top-15 in the final laps. As the race went green though, Jones started to struggle with a tight-handling racecar and fell back to 17th, where he ultimately finished.
ERIK JONES QUOTABLE:
“Today was honestly a roller coaster. We had so much speed that first stage and even got bonus points. I think we could’ve worked our way back into the top-10 for the second stage if it weren’t for that flat tire. I’m still proud of my No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota team for giving us a fast car this weekend. We’re working on improving our road course package, and I think you’re seeing that overall at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.”
(Photo Credit: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB / NKP) NEXT UP: The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway for The Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VISITPA.COM on Sunday, June 22. The race will begin at 2:00 p.m. ET with coverage on Amazon Prime, MAX, MRN and Sirius XM.
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.
Custer Scores Season-Best Eighth in Strategic Run at Cup Series Debut in Mexico City Creed Finishes Just Outside Top 10 at AMS; Mayer 23rd
Cup Series
Cole Custer recorded his strongest points performance of the year and best Cup Series finish since 2022 at Bristol, placing eighth in Sunday’s debut Cup race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Driving the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford, Custer benefited from a savvy early pit strategy called by crew chief Aaron Kramer to short pit Stage One.
A lap-one caution allowed the team to bolt on rain tires as incoming showers loomed, giving Custer a grip advantage. He surged to 12th by lap six, then pitted early for slicks as the track began to dry. Though he finished Stage One in 22nd, a strategic pit cycle gave him a 10th-place restart spot for Stage 2 as others pitted.
Custer made a bold dive into turn one on the restart, climbing to fifth by lap 30. He pitted on lap 33 for four fresh tires and fuel, surrendering the position, and cycled back to 16th. He gained three positions by the end of the stage, finishing 13th in Stage Two.
Restarting 11th for the final and longest stint, he picked up two spots by lap 64 just before a caution for a spin in turn 11. Having pitted moments earlier, Custer gained key track position, restarting fourth with 30 laps to go. He stayed clean and consistent through the final green-flag run, earning an eighth-place result—his season-best to date.
“It was a really solid points day, and I can’t say enough about our guys and everything they had to go through this weekend,” Custer said. “I had a really solid car and great strategy from Aaron (Kramer), so hopefully we can keep moving in the right direction.”
Xfinity Series
Sheldon Creed came close to securing a top-10 finish as the NASCAR Xfinity Series made its long-awaited return to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the first time since 2008. Restarting in 31st with just 14 laps remaining, Creed charged through the field, picking up 20 positions in a determined late-race push to finish 11th in his Pit Boss Ford. Meanwhile, his teammate Sam Mayer recovered from an early-race incident and battled back to take 23rd place in his Audibel Ford.
After strong performances in both practice and qualifying on Saturday morning, the Haas Factory Team (HFT) duo earned solid starting positions, with Mayer lining up sixth and Creed taking the green from 13th. However, the race took an early turn just three laps in when Mayer got loose entering Turn 11 and slid into the tire barrier, triggering the event’s first caution. Despite sustaining damage, the No. 41 crew worked quickly to make necessary repairs, allowing Mayer to continue and remain in contention.
“It was definitely a crazy weekend in Mexico, but we showed speed and enjoyed our time here,” Mayer said. “I’m looking forward to the next one here, and appreciate all the hard work from our team to make this possible.”
Both Haas Factory Team cars opted for a strategic move in the opening stage, choosing to pit just before the stage break in order to gain track position for Stage Two. The decision paid off particularly well for the No. 00 team, which capitalized on the strategy to stay near the front and secure a third-place finish in the second segment—netting eight valuable stage points. Meanwhile, after additional repairs to his car during the pit stop, Mayer restarted deep in the field and was scored 23rd at the end of the stage.
Just one lap into Stage Three, Creed was caught up in a multi-car incident while exiting Turn 2, forcing the No. 00 team to bring the car to pit road for a quick damage assessment. Despite the setback, Creed restarted 31st with only 14 laps remaining and charged through the field, gaining an impressive 20 positions to finish 11th. Meanwhile, Mayer continued to battle back from multiple challenges throughout the race and ultimately brought the No. 41 car home in 23rd, capping off a gritty day for the Haas Factory Team.
“It was an okay day for us, but I felt like we had the potential to finish inside the top five,” Creed said. “We got caught up in the restart mess, but were able to fix it and charge through the field from the back for an 11th-place finish.”
Next weekend at Pocono Raceway is the final race of the Driving 4 a Difference presented by the Gene Haas Foundation, a new in-season Ford tournament within the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Sheldon Creed leads after four races with 112 points, followed by teammate Sam Mayer (97), Harrison Burton (70), Ryan Sieg (57) & Kyle Sieg (25).
Up Next The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway next weekend for the 17th points race on the NASCAR Cup Series/Xfinity schedule. Race coverage for the Xfinity series is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday on the CW, and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on Prime for the Cup Series.
About Haas Factory Team The Haas Factory Team is a NASCAR Cup and Xfinity program owned by Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. Beginning in 2025, the team will feature Cole Custer driving the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer take on the Xfinity Series in the No. 00 and No. 41 Ford Mustangs, respectively. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Haas Factory Team reflects a commitment to performance and engineering excellence, carrying forward Gene Haas’s commitment to motorsports.
Date: June 15, 2025 Event: Inaugural Viva Mexico 250 (Round 16 of 36) Series: NASCAR Cup Series Location: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (2.417-mile, 14-turn road course) Format: 100 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/25 laps/55 laps)
Race Winner: Shane van Gisbergen of Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) Stage 1 Winner: Ryan Preece of RFK Racing (Ford) Stage 2 Winner: Shane van Gisbergen of Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)
RWR Finish:
● Cody Ware (Started 34th, Finished 31st / Running, completed 100 of 100 laps)
RWR Points:
● Cody Ware (36th with 101 points)
Race Notes:
● Shane van Gisbergen won the inaugural Viva Mexico 250 to score his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory and his first of the season. His margin over second-place Christopher Bell was 16.567 seconds.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 16 laps.
● All but six of the 37 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● William Byron remains the championship leader after Mexico City with a 67-point advantage over second-place Kyle Larson.
Sound Bites:
“Just want to thank Arrowhead Brass and all the people that came on board to support a great race down here in Mexico City. That being said, we’ve got a lot of work to do on the road courses. We need to figure some things out.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Arrowhead Brass Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is The Great American Getaway 400 on Sunday, June 22 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by Prime Video and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
MADISON, Ill. (Sunday, June 15, 2025) – In a blistering race with no yellow flags, Lochie Hughes tossed caution in the breeze when it mattered most and ended up in victory lane.
Hughes used a late charge to win the INDY NXT by Firestone race Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway, his second win in his rookie season in the INDYCAR development series. Hughes, from Australia, drove his No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car to a 4.3521-second victory over Myles Rowe, who earned a career-best second place in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy machine.
“I was starting fifth, and I was pretty angry with yesterday (after qualifying),” Hughes said. “So, I honestly didn’t really care. I just thought I’d send it and try something with the setup and send it and see what happens.”
Caio Collet finished third in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports car after leading 58 of the first 61 laps in the 75-lap race, the first oval event this season. Salvador de Alba finished fourth in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car fielded by Andretti Global, just .0676 of a second behind Collet and the final podium position.
Pole sitter and championship leader Dennis Hauger rounded out the top five in the No. 28 Nammo machine, the third Andretti Global car to finish in the top five. Hauger’s lead over Hughes in the standings slimmed to 19 points after he carried a 38-point lead into this race weekend.
Hughes made a stunning charge toward the front after deciding to try to use his higher-downforce setup to find speed on the higher line on the 1.25-mile oval. The risky ploy, as pieces of worn tire rubber can accumulate in the upper groove and reduce grip, began to pay off when Hughes passed the No. 14 HMD Motorsports car of Josh Pierson to climb from sixth to fifth on Lap 46.
The boldest, most decisive moves by Hughes came in a four-lap span from Laps 59-62, when he blazed a trail on the high line to jump from fourth to first.
Hughes was in second at the start of Lap 62 when he approached the leading car of Collet, who was running behind the No. 3 Frank’s Red Hot car of Ricardo Escotto, who was on the tail end of the lead lap. Hughes swept past both cars on the outside of Turn 2 and powered away, never trailing thereafter.
“It was mega,” Hughes said of his car. “I still can’t really believe it, to be honest. I was so, so disappointed after yesterday. I thought we had thrown away a good result. We did it somehow.
“I just thought I’d try the high line one lap, and it worked. I was like, ‘Oh, found something,’ and then just kept running it and ended up with a win. It’s awesome. I’m so happy.”
Said Collet, who used a low-downforce setup for speed: “I thought I had it with 50 to go, but once I caught traffic, I really lost the tires, and it was really hard to hang on. And they just came flying by.”
Hughes averaged 157.199 mph in the caution-free race, the first without a yellow flag this season and the first oval race without a caution in the series since this event in 2022. There also were 165 on-track passes in this feverish race, an INDY NXT record at WWTR.
The next INDY NXT by Firestone race is Sunday, June 22, the Grand Prix at Road America (11 a.m. ET, FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
NASCAR CUP SERIES AUTÓDROMO HERMANOS RODRÍGUEZ TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT JUNE 15, 2025
Shane van Gisbergen Caps Off Chevrolet Weekend Sweep in Mexico City
In a weekend filled with ‘firsts’, it was Shane van Gisbergen and the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team that took the checkered flag in the Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez. Taking the international stage for the series’ first-ever points-paying race, the 36-year-old Auckland, New Zealand, native took advantage of his mastery on road courses – collecting the pole position, a stage win and a race-high 60 laps led en route to his first victory of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season and his second in just 30 career starts in the division.
Van Gisbergen is the fourth different Team Chevy driver to win his way to an early berth into the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, with the Trackhouse Racing driver delivering the Bowtie brand its sixth victory in 16 points-paying races thus far this season.
Setting the pace for the NASCAR Cup Series’ international points-paying debut was Van Gisbergen, who earned his first pole win of the season at the Mexico City circuit. Taking the green flag, impending precipitation moved in prior to completely a lap, giving teams the option to move to wet-weather tires. With only seven circuits complete, a spinning Kyle Busch resulted in a calamity-filled corner, collecting a handful of Team Chevy drivers. Among those collected also included Kyle Larson, who was forced to bring his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the garage for repairs. The damage was too extensive on the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, ultimately ending the team’s day early.
Wet conditions proved no challenge for road course warrior, Van Gisbergen, who quickly took the lead and set sail at the front of the field in the opening laps. Comfortably pacing the field, the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team opted to flip the stage, giving up the lead to hit pit road for a scheduled stop with three laps to go in Stage One.
Running in the second position and closing in on then race leader, Ty Gibbs, in Stage Two, Van Gisbergen inherited the lead when Gibbs came to pit road for a scheduled stop with three laps remaining in Stage Two. Opting for points, crew chief Stephen Doran, kept the No. 88 Chevrolet on track to take the checkered flag and the team’s first stage win of the season.
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st – Shane van Gisbergen
3rd – Chase Elliott
4th – Alex Bowman
5th – Michael McDowell
9th – William Byron
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 16 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 6
Poles: 8
Top-Fives: 34
Top 10s: 69
Stage Wins: 16
UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Pocono Raceway with The Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VISITPA.COM on Sunday, June 22, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on Amazon Prime Video, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Post-Race Driver Quotes:
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 28th
“I’m proud of everyone in NASCAR for coming together to bring our sport to Mexico City. I just wish our Boot Barn Chevrolet team could have had a better end to the race weekend. We had some positives, such as finishing sixth in Stage 2 to earn stage points. We were just too tight for the majority of the race. Our RCR team kept fighting and put us in position to salvage a solid finish. Unfortunately, I got spun with less than 25 to go and we couldn’t make up any ground in the final stretch. That’s how these races go sometimes. We’ll take it and move on to Pocono.”
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 37th
The crew tried to make repairs to your car, but this has been a chaotic race, Kyle. What happened when you were spinning?
“Just in the rain, I went down into 11 and got on the brakes pretty hard and everything was fine. Everything was comfortable, it stopped really good, and I thought okay, I can be a little bit more aggressive this time. Getting back into one and went to the 10 marker, if there is a 10 marker, it’s the bridge, and we’ve been going much past the bridge all day on dries and so wet, I figured it’s going to be fine. As soon as I went to the brakes, it was just on ice, and I was sliding, and so about a second and a half or so, I was just trying to figure out which direction to go, and then I was like, I’ve got to turn this thing around backwards because I’m going to nail some people So I hate it for all those that were involved in my mishap there, and hate it for Lucas Oil, and of course, RCR, ECR, the guys, I mean, the car yesterday in qualifying was really good, it felt like we were going to be really sporty in the dry. I hate that the rain came, and now it’s nice and dry, so just have to go fight for more points in another week.”
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 3rd
What a strong final run of the day for Chase Elliott, winds up third. It seemed chaotic from our seat. How was it from behind the wheel?
“The restart was, for sure. And yeah, I felt like we were in a really good spot. I was super excited about having tires and getting ourselves to — we got in front of the No. 54 and I thought, to be honest, that was going to be the race for the win there initially. We got clear of the No. 1 and the No. 42, I think, and started settling in, and I didn’t have anything left. I was kind of cooked after that. I think we just pressed so hard to try to get through traffic that when it got singled out, I didn’t have a lot of pace left. I felt like I gained on him there for a little while, but it was pretty tough to get to that point. We pressed on.
Really proud of our No. 9 LLumar Chevy group for sticking with it. We were kind of up and down all day and finally got going there a few runs from the end. Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) made us a good call to get us on tires. Finally had a restart go halfway decent and got a decent top-three finish out of it.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 13th
“Honestly, I felt like we were going to have a really good car, even the way it felt in the rain. It’s easy to say that, but I really thought the car had a lot of speed. For as destroyed as it was, we still had decent speed and it drove well on wet and dry tires. I definitely think we could have ran top five all day, but unfortunately, we’ll never know. Just proud of the guys; from the way we started this weekend, we kept fighting and making it better. We had something there to be competitive and have a really good run. Our 16 group did everything they could to keep me out there and I’m never going to quit on them. just absolutely frustrating day, but proud of the effort for days like this, just keep fighting.”
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 9th
“Today was hard fought for sure. We started behind where we would want to be but we were able to use strategy and make adjustments that got us good track position. I’m really proud of our Valvoline team’s effort to turn things around today. We’ll take the top 10 and head to Pocono.”
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 4th
“It feels good to get this No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team a run that they deserve. We’ve had a lot of fast race cars and just had days that haven’t gone our way. We’ve had issues and there’s been times that I’ve crashed the car, so to get them a good run after everything this week and how hard they’ve had to work is great. Just really appreciate all of their support and glad we could get a top-five finish.”
There’s a lot of road courses coming up. Do you feel like you can contend for a win?
“Yeah, I feel like road course racing has become a strong suit for the No. 48 team. I feel like the strategy that we’ve had has been great. Going to slicks there pretty early and getting back positions that way, we’ve done that a couple of times and it makes my job easy from there. So yeah, I think we have a shot at a win. Really, going to Pocono, we have a shot there too. We ran second or third there last year. Just excited to get things pointed in the right direction.”
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 5th
“Overall, it was a great day for the No. 71 B’laster Chevrolet team. We’re bummed out. Our Chevrolet was fast. I felt like our strategy was going to work out there. We were just a few laps away from it working out, but unfortunately the caution came out. It happens… you can’t plan for everything. But I feel like we did a great job of coming back up through the field from restarting 15th there in the last stage. Proud of the effort and proud of the speed. We needed a little bit more, but it’s something to build on. If we keep building here at Spire Motorsports, we’ll get a win. It’s good to be bummed with a top-five finish. I felt like we had more today and hopefully we’ll get a chance to prove that when we get to the upcoming road courses. Mexico City was a lot of fun. It was a cool weekend and a cool race track.”
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 1st
You faced so much adversity this entire weekend. Travel issues, not feeling well before the race and then the rain. What was the biggest challenge you face?
“You listed them all man. What a week. I have really enjoyed myself here. I felt pretty rubbish today. Thank you to Safety Culture, Trackhouse, Chevy and these guys right here. I think the 54 was close, but that last stint, what a pleasure to just be ripping lap after lap and to watch them all get smaller in the mirror. Unreal.”
Was this maybe the best race car you have ever sat in?
“It’s certainly up there. I have been privileged to have some great ones in my time, but when I go slower, I just lose my concentration, so I was just trying to stay in a rhythm and a routine. Josh (Williams, spotter) and Stephen (Doran, crew chief) were doing a great job of keeping me calm and focused.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 19th
How satisfied are you with NASCAR coming to Mexico and every part that you had in it?
“That was the highlight of my weekend. NASCAR coming here to Mexico, I think we all had an amazing time, not just on-track, but also off-track. I think we were in the fight… we were in the hunt. We had a top-five, top-10 No. 99 Telcel Chevrolet. There were a lot of different strategies out there and, unfortunately, ours just didn’t work out. It’s nobody’s fault, it just wasn’t meant to be today.”
About General Motors
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BELL DRIVES THROUGH THE FIELD TO LEAD TOYOTA IN MEXICO John Hunter Nemechek scores career-best road course finish
MEXICO CITY (June 15, 2025) – Christopher Bell drove from 31st starting spot to second to lead Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico City.
John Hunter Nemechek had an impressive drive to finish sixth – his best career road-course finish, while Chase Briscoe came back from an early race incident and twice being a lap down to finish seventh.
Ty Gibbs had a strong run and led multiple laps. He was leading when the final caution came out, when he was forced to pit, and was unable to get back to the lead. Gibbs settled for 11th.
Toyota GAZOO Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Race 16 of 36 – 241 miles, 100 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Shane van Gisbergen*
2nd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
3rd, Chase Elliott*
4th, Alex Bowman*
5th, Michael McDowell*
6th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
7th, CHASE BRISCOE
11th, TY GIBBS
12th, BUBBA WALLACE
17th, ERIK JONES
20th, TYLER REDDICK
23rd, RYAN TRUEX
29th, RILEY HERBST
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 2nd
31st to second; were there times today where you thought you could keep up with the 88?
“I don’t know. He was really good. Ultimately it was just a third-place day. I felt like Ty (Gibbs) was really good, so the yellow flag bit him and we walked away with second. Both days – in the Xfinity car, I was the third-place car, and today, I felt like I was the third-place car. I think more than anything it was just me. I need to do a little more homework and figure out where I can be better to keep up with these guys. The Joe Gibbs Racing Group brought an amazing Mobil 1 Camry, and I can’t really say that it was my car that was lacking. It was on me this weekend.”
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Finishing Position: 6th
How was your day out there?
“Hats off to this whole 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team. Pye-Barker colors look really good on our Camry this weekend, and I’m super stoked on a sixth-place finish. Our road course program has not been good here at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, so solid run for us after the last three weeks we’ve had – two wrecks, and not so good run in Nashville – we needed this as a team to get back on track. Had a lot of text messages from my wife (Taylor) and had a lot of text messages from Jimmie (Johnson, co-owner, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB) yesterday – I was pretty down after qualifying, and beating myself up pretty bad, but we executed during the race. I got spun out a couple of times and still came home sixth. Hats off to Travis (Mack, crew chief) on the strategy. He called a really good race, and we were able to execute and come home sixth. Proud of the day.”
CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 7th
How did you battle through everything? “We just had a really good Bass Pro Shops Toyota. It is sickening getting torn up that early, and all the aversity we had to go through because our car was really, really good. I don’t know if I would have been good enough to beat Shane (van Gisbergen) – but certainly, probably would have run better than seventh. It is a testament to my guys. They could have given up in many points during the race, and they continued to just fight. I want to say Happy Father’s Day to my dad, and congrats to Shane too. That whole team is almost the 14 group from last year.”
TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 11th
Do you feel like the timing of the caution ended your day?
“Yeah, and then I don’t know what they do on restarts where they check everybody up and then everyone just rails each other. That is where I got a little nose damage, unfortunately.”
How do you process it?
“Sometimes life just doesn’t work out for you. You just have to keep digging.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.
