INDYCAR

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.

SEE: Race Results

“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).

After a rough start to his weekend in Mexico City, Shane van Gisbergen found race day to be smooth sailing by leading 60 of 100 laps to win the inaugural Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Van Gisbergen, a New Zealander in his rookie year as a full-time Cup driver after winning championships in Australia’s V8 Supercars tour, earned his second career victory in the first NASCAR Cup Series race on foreign soil since 1958 and first of the sport’s modern era.

Getting to Mexico City to begin with proved quite the challenge for Van Gisbergen, as he was among the NASCAR drivers and industry personnel whose trip south of the border was delayed Thursday after their plane suffered a mechanical failure as it was preparing to take off from Charlotte, N.C. It took an early morning flight for Van Gisbergen to finally get to the racetrack for practice Friday, but the complications of international travel didn’t end there despite him winning the pole. Prior to the start of Sunday’s race, Van Gisbergen reportedly began to feel unwell before strapping in to his Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.

NASCAR 2025 race schedule, results: Complete list of Cup Series race dates, winners, tracks, locations

Steven Taranto

If Van Gisbergen was struggling behind the wheel, it certainly didn’t look like it. The road racing ace was in command of the field throughout Sunday’s race, easily handling a transition from wet to dry conditions before taking complete control after a caution in the middle of green flag stops fell in a way that played into Van Gisbergen’s strategy while going against that of his nearest competitor, Ty Gibbs.

“I felt pretty rubbish today — leaking out both holes, that wasn’t fun,” Van Gisbergen joked to Prime. “Our car, it was amazing. I think the 54 was close, but that last stint, man, what a pleasure just ripping lap after lap and watching them get smaller in the mirror. Unreal.”

Van Gisbergen’s domination of Sunday’s race came thanks in part to some advice from four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen, who Van Gisbergen texted before the race looking for advice on how to drive Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in wet conditions with rain in the forecast. “A little bit in the wet, and just what lines to take and how to approach it. What a guy,” Van Gisbergen said of what Verstappen told him.

Van Gisbergen won by a prohibitive 16.5 seconds over runner up Christopher Bell, with Chase Elliott third, Alex Bowman fourth and Michael McDowell fifth. John Hunter Nemechek ran sixth, followed by Chase Briscoe in seventh, Cole Custer — who earned his first top 10 of the year — in eighth, William Byron ninth and Chris Buescher 10th.

While the driver known as SVG put on a clinic out front, most of the other drivers in the Cup field partook in the sort of slam-bang affair befitting of a lucha libre. A multi-car crash in wet conditions took both Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson out of contention, and after the checkered flag, two particular luchadores ended up in una guerra de palabras that escalated an existing feud.

After Carson Hocevar locked up his brakes in the stadium section of the course and spun out Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the second time in the last three races, Stenhouse angrily confronted Hocevar in his car after the race, making it clear to him that the foreign soil they were on was the only thing keeping him from taking further action. “I will beat your ass,” Stenhouse could be heard saying from Hocevar’s in-car camera. “I will when we get back to the States!”

“I just got left and in the marbles and slid a lot longer than I expected,” Hocevar told reporters of the incident, which came after Hocevar was already running a lap down due to earlier problems. “Obviously, number one, not somebody that I would ever want to hit again. But number two, I wasn’t racing anybody. I was just logging laps and just trying to wait on a yellow and maybe see if we could put our day back together. I just hit a curb wrong and got in the marbles and slid all the way through the corner.

“I tried to turn left to avoid him, but just a really, really sloppy day by me.”

Mexico native Daniel Suarez, who won Saturday’s Xfinity Series race in front of his home country, finished in the top 10 in both stages and briefly took the lead after a restart, but faded to 19th at the finish. Suarez finished just ahead of Ryan Truex in 23rd, who spent the day filling in for Denny Hamlin behind the wheel of the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin did not make the trip to Mexico City due to the birth of his son, giving the younger brother of former Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. the opportunity to make his first Cup start since 2014.

In winning the inaugural Cup race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez after winning the inaugural Chicago Street Race in his 2023 Cup debut, Shane van Gisbergen becomes the first driver to earn both of his first two Cup wins in inaugural races at a track since Marvin Porter won at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds in 1957 and Marchbanks Speedway in 1960. Van Gisbergen’s 16.567 second margin of victory is also the largest in any Cup race since Kurt Busch won at Texas by 25.686 seconds in the fall of 2009.

Viva Mexico 250 results

1. #88 – Shane van Gisbergen (R)
2. #20 – Christopher Bell
3. #9 – Chase Elliott
4. #48 – Alex Bowman
5. #71 – Michael McDowell
6. #42 – John Hunter Nemechek
7. #19 – Chase Briscoe
8. #41 – Cole Custer
9. #24 – William Byron
10. #17 – Chris Buescher
11. #54 – Ty Gibbs
12. #23 – Bubba Wallace
13. #16 – A.J. Allmendinger
14. #12 – Ryan Blaney
15. #60 – Ryan Preece
16. #1 – Ross Chastain
17. #43 – Erik Jones
18. #2 – Austin Cindric
19. #99 – Daniel Suarez
20. #45 – Tyler Reddick
21. #22 – Joey Logano
22. #34 – Todd Gilliland
23. #11 – Ryan Truex
24. #7 – Justin Haley
25. #6 – Brad Keselowski
26. #21 – Josh Berry
27. #47 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
28. #3 – Austin Dillon
29. #35 – Riley Herbst (R)
30. #4 – Noah Gragson
31. #51 – Cody Ware
32. #78 – Katherine Legge
33. #10 – Ty Dillon
34. #77 – Carson Hocevar
35. #38 – Zane Smith
36. #5 – Kyle Larson
37. #8 – Kyle Busch

At Nashville, there was a very public feud between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carson Hocevar. Early in the run, Hocevar spun Stenhouse into the outside wall, causing the single-car team’s first DNF of the 2025 season.

Stenhouse promised payback, but through a series of public and private comments throughout the week, the two drivers smoothed things over. Hocevar even promised to “round the edges off,” admitting that his aggressive style can sometimes cross the line.

Well, two weeks later, the feud reignited in a big way as NASCAR took on Mexico City. Hocevar was involved in several incidents throughout the race in a difficult day for the Spire Motorsports drivers. He also caused the final caution of the race after losing control in the final corner and stalling his No. 77 Chevrolet.

Later on, he was running a lap down as he followed Stenhouse into the stadium section. Stenhouse was on the lead lap, running 23rd, but Hocevar entered a little too hot as he battled his car. He ran into the back of Stenhouse, spinning him out yet again. Stenhouse fell to 26th, ultimately dropping down to 27th by the time the checkered flag flew.

Post-race confrontation

After the race, Stenhouse did not hide his frustration, marching over to Hocevar’s car and sticking his head in the window to shout at him. In-car cameras caught most of the discussion 

“I’m gonna beat your ass,” said Stenhouse. “You’re a lap down, you got nothing to do, why’d you run right into me?”

Hocevar was apologetic and explained that he locked up in the marbles, but Stenhouse quickly shouted back, “I don’t give a damn.” Stenhouse again promised to beat Hocevar up once they returned to the states.

Stenhouse was involved in a shocking brawl during the 2024 All-Star Race when he punched Kyle Busch after waiting for him in the garage area. He was fined $75,000 by NASCAR for that altercation.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Very little went right for Shane Van Gisbergen in the buildup to NASCAR’s first international Cup Series points-paying race of the modern era.

A mechanical issue on takeoff forced his team charter to abort the initial journey to Mexico City. He arrived at the venue Friday, a day late, and after winning the pole Saturday, the New Zealander fell seriously ill.

He was sleeping on the floor of his hauler before Sunday’s race, unsure he’d be able to physically complete the 100-lap event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

But there’s something special about the Kiwi and new venues, especially in the rain, and he salvaged the weekend by winning on the road course to earn an automatic berth into NASCAR’s playoffs.

Van Gisbergen led 60 of 100 laps and beat Christopher Bell by 16.567 seconds.

Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Hermanos Rodriguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

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“I tried to treat it like when I go to Asia, just drink bottled water and be careful in the shower and brush your teeth with bottled water, but I just went downhill,” Van Gisbergen said. “Couldn’t keep anything in. Everything just went straight through me. I felt really queasy and my mind was there, but my body just had so much pressure in my stomach. Crazy weekend and everyone dug deep.”

It was the second Cup Series victory of his career. He won in his NASCAR debut at the inaugural 2023 street course race in Chicago — a victory that changed his career trajectory. Van Gisbergen left Australia V8 Supercars, where he was a multiple champion, for a full-time move to NASCAR.

Although he had success in the Xfinity Series — he won three races last year as Trackhouse Racing developed him for a Cup Series ride — Van Gisbergen has struggled this year at NASCAR’s top level.

He started the race ranked 33rd in the Cup standings with only one top-10 finish through the first 15 races of the season. But his victory in Mexico City revived his season and gives him a shot to race for the Cup Series championship.

“It means everything to us, this is why I’m here,” Van Gisbergen said. “I am getting better and more competitive. We’re really making a lot of progress.”

Van Gisbergen celebrated in his traditional rugby-style way — he drop-kicked a signed football into the grandstands and then said he had recovered enough to enjoy “some Red Bulls mixed with adult beverages” later Sunday.

Van Gisbergen benefitted from an early pop-up rain shower on the first lap of the race because he’s an exceptionally skilled driver on a wet surface. His win at Chicago was in monsoon-like conditions.

Trackhouse now has two of its drivers — Ross Chastain and Van Gisbergen — locked into the playoffs. But it was a bit of a disappointment for Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey native who thrilled the hometown crowd with a win in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, as he failed to challenge his teammate for the win and finished 19th.

“I wish I was in the mix fighting for it a little more, but it just wasn’t in the cards,” Suarez said. “Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations, the people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy.

“I had expectations for this weekend, not the results but, like, the event, and I can tell you that I personally exceeded those expectations,” he added. “So very, very happy for that. Very blessed. I hope that we can do it many more times.”

Suarez, who appeared to be blinking back tears as he sang along with the Mexican national anthem in pre-race ceremonies, desperately wanted the home win in this contract year with Trackhouse. He was the face of this event as NASCAR ventured outside the U.S. with its top series for the first time since 1958.

Bell finished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He was followed by Chase Elliott in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Alex Bowman, who hurt his back in a crash last week at Michigan, withstood the pain for a fourth-place finish in his Hendrick Chevrolet.

Michael McDowell of Spire Motorsports was fifth and followed by John Hunter Nemechek in a Toyota for Legacy Motor Club. Chase Briscoe of JGR was seventh and followed by Cole Custer for Haas Factory as the highest-finishing Ford driver. William Byron of Hendrick was ninth and Chris Buescher of RFK Racing rounded out the top 10.

Chevrolets took five of the top-10 positions, including the victory.

Stenhouse vs. Hocevar

The ongoing feud between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carson Hocevar continued after the race as a furious Stenhouse reached inside Hocevar’s cockpit on pit road.

He seemed to grab at Hocevar as he spoke to him, then slapped at his helmet as Stenhouse walked away. It wasn’t clear what Stenhouse was upset about, but he’s been furious with Hocevar for three consecutive weeks, dating to contact between the two at Nashville.

Hocevar’s in-car camera captured the audio of the confrontation.

“I’m going to beat your (butt),” Stenhouse threatened. “You’re a lap down, you’ve got nothing to do. Why you run right into me? It’s the second time. I’m going to beat your (butt) when we get back to the States.”

Hocevar said after the race he couldn’t really hear Stenhouse.

“I know he was very mad and I was very apologetic,” Hocevar said. “I got in the marbles and slid a lot longer than I expected to. Number one, not somebody I would ever want to hit again. But number two, I was basically just logging laps. I tried to turn left and avoid him. Just a really sloppy day for me.”

Gordon gives command

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon was selected to give the command for drivers to start their engines and admitted before the race he’d done some practicing.

Why? Because he incorporated both English and Spanish in his delivery of the most famous words in racing.

“Hola Mexico!” Gordon shouted. “Pilotos start your engines!

Up Next

NASCAR races next Sunday at Pocono Raceway, where Ryan Blaney won last year.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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Justin Bonsignore had a perfect day Sunday at Riverhead Raceway.