A fun weekend in Mexico City has come and gone, and the NASCAR Power Rankings are starting to become solidified. 10 winners on the season and 10 races to go before the postseason begins. A lot can change between now and then.

Shane van Gisbergen was the big winner this weekend. Started on pole, had a skeleton crew to start the weekend, and was sick the morning of the race. None of the negatives got in the way as SVG went on to win by a country mile.

With that said, SVG will not appear on the list below. Let’s look at our top-10 drivers in the NASCAR Power Rankings and then turn our attention to the Tricky Triangle.

1. William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports (-)

While William Byron wasn’t in the mix for the win, he fought hard in Mexico City. All race long, Byron earned his P9 finish through grit and determination.

There were a lot of tough moments for Byron. However, the NASCAR points leader and Power Rankings leader managed another solid finish.

2. Christopher Bell – Joe Gibbs Racing (+3)

A very well-deserved P2. Even if he was almost 17 seconds behind Shane van Gisbergen, I have to give Christopher Bell credit for his finish.

Bell moves up big in the NASCAR Power Rankings by being one restart away from making things interesting. He wasn’t the only one, either.

3. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing (-1)

Now, Denny Hamlin didn’t race this weekend. He had dad duties back home with his newborn son. However, I can’t drop him too much, he is coming off a Michigan win and going to Pocono, his best track.

Maybe this little break from NASCAR is what the 44-year-old needed to take the Tricky Triangle by storm. Can he earn his 8th official win at the track?

4. Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports (+3)

Finally, we saw a potential for Chase Elliott to win. I think if there was one more restart late, he was the most likely of himself and Bell to take down SVG. But it never came.

Going to Pocono, Elliott is racing double duty in the Xfinity Series. He moves up in the NASCAR Power Rankings for one week, but can he maintain this speed?

5. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports (-1)

A wreck on Lap 7 took Kyle Larson out and it was no doing of his own. Kyle Busch was a wrecking ball after losing grip into Turn 1.

The fact Larson picked up the fastest lap bonus point tells me a lot about that car, and the driver. Speed is there, he just needs a clean race start to finish. It might be this weekend.

6. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske (-3)

While I understand why Ryan Blaney finished P14, I wish I could have seen more of him in the top-10. So, he drops in the NASCAR Power Rankings. Mostly on account of Bell and Elliott doing so well.

Blaney has had his struggles this season, but he’s a championship contender. Make no mistake about it.

7. Ross Chastain – Trackhouse Racing (-1)

Much like Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain had an average day. He had his bright spots, but P16 overall, not much to write home about from Mexico City. So, he drops in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

Chastain was the lone Trackhouse Cup driver not to win a race this weekend. Both Daniel Suárez and SVG picked up wins in Xfinity and Cup, respectively. But only Chastain is ranked.

8. Bubba Wallace – 23XI Racing (+1)

A small bump for Bubba Wallace on account of other drivers falling out of the NASCAR Power Rankings after Mexico City, and his solid P12 finish. For a road course, that’s really solid for the 23 team.

There is still time for this group to get a win this year. But for now, picking up as many points as they can will have to do. They have to hope they see some repeat winners down this final 10-race stretch if they themselves can’t get the job done and go to Victory Lane.

9. Chris Buescher – RFK Racing (NR)

Another road course, another top-10 for Chris Buescher. He has been quietly chipping away at solid finishes this season, as usual.

I fear that Buescher may be left out of the postseason yet again if he can’t win a race. But there is still time and the speed has been there.

10. Ryan Preece – RFK Racing (NR)

Look at that! Another RFK Racing driver in the NASCAR Power Rankings. Ryan Preece qualified P2 and won a stage on Sunday. P15 after a late pit road penalty, that’s nothing to be too upset about.

Preece has found his home at RFK. That first-career win feels like it is just around the corner.

RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece had a solid points day at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday afternoon after qualifying on the front row in Saturday afternoon’s rain-shortened qualifying session.

He won stage one, though he would have been hoping for better than a 15th place finish in the 100-lap Viva Mexico 250 around the 15-turn, 2.429-mile (3.909-kilometer) road course in Mexico City, Mexico.

Still, he started the race in a 14th place tie in the point standings with Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch, and he broke that tie for 14th and now sits four spots ahead of Busch. However, after entering the day on the inside of the provisional 16-driver playoff picture, he now sits on the outside looking in.

Ryan Preece out of NASCAR playoff picture

Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen won the race after entering the weekend in 33rd (out of 36 full-time drivers) in the point standings. Even with the win, he is only in 30th, but the win made him the 10th different winner through the season’s first 16 races and thus vaulted him above all the non-winners in the playoff picture.

With Preece currently sitting seventh among non-winners in points scored, he finds himself in 17th in the playoff picture and thus below the cut line, ironically because of his own team’s decision to appeal teammate Chris Buescher’s penalty from Kansas Speedway last month.

Buescher had a 60-point penalty reduced to a 30-point penalty, and he now leads Preece by 19 points for the 16th and final spot above the playoff cut line with 10 races remaining on the 26-race regular season schedule.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman sits just three points above Buescher, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe sits just 17 points ahead of Bowman.

As for those below the cut line, Preece is 24 points clear of the next driver, that being Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell. Two points behind McDowell is Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger, and Busch is five points behind Allmendinger.

Today, Spire Motorsports announced NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standout Patrick Emerling will pilot the team’s No. 07 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway where GOAT Power Bikes will be showcased as Emerling’s primary sponsor.

Emerling, a multi-time race winner on both the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the Race of Champions Modified Tour, brings a wealth of short-track experience and national series versatility to the team’s Truck Series program. Pocono will mark the 32-year-old’s fourth race in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition and his debut with Spire Motorsports.

“I’m thrilled that GOAT is joining me for my first race with Spire Motorsports,” said Emerling. “Spire has really fast trucks, and GOAT has some of the fastest electric bikes on the market. Pocono is a fun and challenging track, and I’m ready to show what I can do.”

Emerling competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with SS-Green Light Racing while building his body of experience across NASCAR’s developmental ranks.

In 2017, the Orchard Park, N.Y., native, earned his first Whelen Modified Tour victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. His open-wheel accolades continued to stack up with a win in the 2019 Whelen Engineering All-Star Shootout at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and back-to-back Race of Champions titles in 2019 and 2020.

The 2021 season was a career highlight for Emerling, where he collected three Whelen Modified Tour wins and finished second in the championship. He also made multiple Xfinity Series starts for Our Motorsports. In 2022, he co-founded Emerling-Gase Motorsports, fielding two full-time Xfinity Series entries while also competing part-time during the 2023 season.

Emerling returned to full-time status in the Whelen Modified Tour in 2024, earning three wins and a runner-up finish in the division’s championship point standings. He kicked off 2025 with top modified honors at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway’s World Series of Asphalt, tallying a trio of victories in the five-day event.

“It’s a perfect-fit partnership. We both like to go fast,” said GOAT Power Bikes owner Byrson Goodman. “We’re excited to see the partnership develop.”

The MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono Raceway will be televised live on FS1 Friday, June 20, beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will also be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.

Spire Motorsports PR

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing unveils liquid hydrogen-fueled “GR LH2 Racing Concept” at Le Mans

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has unveiled the GR LH2 Racing Concept, a liquid hydrogen (LH2) fueled test car to advance the development of hydrogen technology in motorsports. It made its public debut at the Circuit de la Sarthe where it is being exhibited at the H2 Village, organized by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, during the 93rd Le Mans 24 Hours (11-15 June).

As part of its efforts to make ever-better cars through motorsports as the starting point, and to realize a carbon-neutral society, Toyota has advanced its technologies in the challenging environment of motorsports, including the Super Taikyu series in Japan. It has also accelerated its efforts to expand the production, transportation, and use of hydrogen together with partners inside and outside the industry, towards the realization of a carbon-neutral society.

Toyota has taken on the challenge of hydrogen engine development in motorsports, initially through Rookie Racing’s participation in the Japanese Super Taikyu series with the hydrogen-engine Corolla, which initially used gaseous hydrogen from 2021, before the introduction of a liquid hydrogen-powered car from 2023. The potential of hydrogen engines in rallying was showcased in 2022 when the GR Yaris H2 completed demonstration runs on Ypres Rally, a round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

In 2023, the hydrogen-engine Corolla completed a demonstration lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe, while a hydrogen engine concept car, the GR H2 Racing Concept, was presented to preview a potential future hydrogen category at Le Mans. Since then, development of the technology intensified, reaching a new milestone with the unveiling of the liquid hydrogen-powered GR LH2 Racing Concept. It is based on the GR010 HYBRID Hypercar which currently participates in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Through future track testing, the GR LH2 Racing Concept will support Toyota’s continuous development of hydrogen technology and infrastructure, as well as helping build relationships to expand the possibilities of hydrogen through the challenge of motorsports.

The presentation of the forward-looking GR LH2 Racing Concept completes a celebration of past, present and future which marks the 40th anniversary of Toyota’s first participation at Le Mans, following the introduction of a unique combination of livery designs. The #7 GR010 HYBRID of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries carries a red and white tribute livery inspired by the iconic TS020 which participated in 1998. The #8 GR010 HYBRID – driven by Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa – represents the team’s present determination to win. Its matt black livery is built around a GR logo, capturing the team’s “Hate to lose” spirit and the “Prototype” concept of making ever-better motorsports-bred cars and continuous evolution.

READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing unveils liquid hydrogen-fueled “GR LH2 Racing Concept” at Le Mans, source

MEXICO CITY — In some ways, the timing for NASCAR’s first Cup Series race in Mexico could not have been worse.

It came under the shadow of fierce immigration protests and unrest in Los Angeles, and a portion of NASCAR’s fan base had already been skeptical about the series going international.

But none of that was apparent at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez racetrack. The beautiful melting pot of a thoroughly American sport and a highly enthusiastic Mexican fan base caught many in the garage by surprise.

Relatively unknown drivers like Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland, who have a combined two career victories between them, were mobbed like rock stars while walking in public areas of the track. Fans gave NASCAR the Formula One treatment by making homemade apparel and traveling long distances from around Mexico (90 percent of the ticket buyers were from the country, but only 44 percent from Mexico City itself). They were emotional over seeing the Cup cars in person for the first time and begged for NASCAR to announce it would return again next season.

Dude. This is the mob for @ToddGilliland_ pic.twitter.com/VUTLvu3y4R

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) June 15, 2025

Long after the race, they were lined up outside the garage area to cheer and give high-fives to crew members from every team who were headed toward the exit gates. In example after example, there was a level of excitement for NASCAR that is sometimes not apparent even at the biggest American races.

While NASCAR executive vice president Ben Kennedy wasn’t ready to proclaim the series would indeed come back in 2026, he was clearly moved by how his sport created a bond between people.

Seeing Mexican police hold the flags of both countries as a children’s chorus sweetly sang the anthems of each country before the race, Kennedy said, gave him chills and goosebumps.

By that point, the weekend was already a success regardless of what happened in the race itself.

“No matter what’s going on outside of this racetrack, even outside of this country, sports can be great unifiers,” he said.

“That’s what we saw this weekend. People from all walks of life came together and watched an amazing race with some of the best drivers in the world. That’s what I’m most proud of.”

SVGeez!

It was a bit humorous to see Shane van Gisbergen’s victory compared to Harrison Burton’s Daytona triumph last fall, with some fans lumping the two together as an indictment of NASCAR’s win-and-in playoff system.

In reality, they were not very similar. While Burton earned his stirring victory at Daytona to snatch a playoff spot, that was a superspeedway race where timing and luck can often play a factor in the outcome.

But in Mexico City, van Gisbergen’s win was pure dominance from one of the greatest road racing drivers on the planet. There was simply no one in his class on Sunday, and he won by 16.5 seconds — the largest margin in a NASCAR Cup Series race since Nov. 2009.

This was an entirely predictable outcome from the day it became clear the New Zealand native would be a rookie in the Cup Series for NASCAR’s Mexico race (despite a track record of horrible predictions, even I got this one right).

It’s also exactly why Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks hired him in the first place. Under the current playoff system, everyone knows just one victory not only essentially locks a driver into the playoffs but also increases the season payout dramatically. The No. 88 car’s charter value and its weighted three-year average will now be no lower than 16th for 2025 thanks to van Gisbergen’s triumph, which more than justifies the gamble Marks took on him.

So yes, while fans might think it’s unreasonable for the 33rd-place driver to launch himself into the playoffs with a single win — much as Burton did while sitting 34th in the standings last year — it’s also a major reason why van Gisbergen is in the car at all.

There’s nothing fluky about a road course ace winning on the type of circuit that makes up nearly a fifth of the regular-season schedule; ultimately, van Gisbergen did exactly what he was expected to do all along.

After Sunday’s win, Shane van Gisbergen is essentially locked into the playoffs in his rookie Cup Series campaign. (James Gilbert / Getty Images)

Suárez’s homecoming

Maybe it will get lost in the annals of NASCAR history because it was an Xfinity Series race and not a Cup race, but Daniel Suárez’s win on Saturday was one of the sport’s most storybook moments in recent memory.

NASCAR hasn’t had too many high-profile, sentimental moments of late, which is one reason why the same ones continue to be shown and discussed time and again (the 2001 Pepsi 400, for example, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the first race at Daytona International Speedway after the death of his father in that year’s Daytona 500).

But we shouldn’t let this weekend pass without looking back on what Suárez accomplished. After all, just getting to this point — with NASCAR traveling to his home country — was made much easier by his presence.

Suárez entered both the Cup race and Xfinity race and gave his countrymen a reason to be excited. He tirelessly promoted the race and took on the pressure of being the face of the event — all while playing host to his American NASCAR family (he even sent media members a list of his favorite Mexico City restaurants to ensure they had a positive experience).

But then in an unforced error in Xfinity Series qualifying on Saturday, he crashed his JR Motorsports car into a barrier and destroyed it. Suárez had to start in last place, in a backup car with no laps on it, and his chances of even a top 10 finish seemed unlikely on a road course.

Except Suárez steadily made his way through the field and his team made the right strategy calls, suddenly putting him in position for an incredible victory. As he held off Taylor Gray in the final laps, the noise of the crowd could be heard over the engines — a rare occurrence in the world of throaty stock car racing.

Suárez triumphantly climbed atop his car in the middle of a converted baseball stadium, turning to all three sides of the grandstands to salute the frenzied crowd. It was the sort of moment that NASCAR needs every now and again to remind people of racing’s magic.

Unbelievable moment! Incredible stuff here in Mexico City! pic.twitter.com/EGEyMLA4Iv

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) June 14, 2025

Carson, again

Another week, another Carson Hocevar controversy. Or three.

The most notable this week was another run-in with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., in which Hocevar accidentally took out Stenhouse while running one lap down; in-car camera audio then captured a confrontation after the race in which Stenhouse vowed to beat up Hocevar when they returned to the United States — lest he risk ending up in a Mexican jail with an assault charge.

Of all people Hocevar could have made contact with, Stenhouse was the least ideal. Their run-in two weeks ago at Nashville seemed somewhat forgiven as long as Hocevar didn’t do it again, and Stenhouse said last week at Michigan he was willing to focus on racing instead of getting into a tit-for-tat while both drivers attempted to make the playoffs.

Then Hocevar ran into him again, and Stenhouse — who has already shown a proclivity to defend himself — is unlikely to let it go this time.

Meanwhile, Hocevar also caused a race-altering caution flag when he spun and was apparently unable to re-fire his car. After the No. 77 sat there stalled for what seemed like an eternity, NASCAR finally called a caution with the leaders approaching at speed — despite it being in the middle of a green-flag pit cycle.

That ruined the races of drivers like Ty Gibbs, who later said he was 10 seconds away from pitting and was seemingly the only driver who could hang with van Gisbergen. Gibbs felt he could have won the race if not for that caution but finished 11th instead.

NASCAR did not view Hocevar’s caution as intentional, but some in the garage did; he has a track record of trying to bring out the yellow flag, and thus is viewed with skepticism.

Finally, Hocevar made closed-minded comments about Mexico City during a Twitch stream at the start of the weekend — including calling the city a “s—hole.” He later regretted it, issuing an apology on social media after the race.

“Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should ever give an opinion about what any place is like other than Portage, Michigan,” Hocevar wrote. “When I answered that question on a stream, I was skeptical about the trip so far and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here.

“Now that I’ve actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen, my opinion has changed. I am embarrassed by my comments, by the race I ran, and I may have to move here to hide out from Ricky anyway.”

He concluded: “Count this as another lesson for me in a season I’ve learned so much. Don’t believe everything you hear without seeing it yourself. If anyone should give anyone or any place the benefit of the doubt it’s me. I’m sorry Mexico City. Consider me an ally going forward and an example of getting off Twitch and seeing things with my own two eyes.”

A taste of culture

Of all the various cultural observations I heard this weekend, Bubba Wallace’s thoughts on hot sauce resonated the most with my experience.

Wallace noted that in Mexico City, similar to some restaurants in the United States, a waiter will bring a few sauces with the meal and describe their degree of heat. One end will be the hottest, the other end will be the mildest.

Except in Mexico, the “hot” was really not that hot compared to what we have in America. They were much tastier than the burn-your-face-off, five-alarm fire heat that results in immediately chugging water.

“When you get home, ours is stupid hot — no flavor, nothing at all,” Wallace said. “Their hottest one has a decent kick to it, but it has a tremendous amount of flavor to go with it. They are doing it right down here. I think we are just looking for who can be in the most pain in the States.”

(Top photo of fans at Sunday’s Cup Series race: James Gilbert / Getty Images)

Kyle Larson is open to NASCAR adding podiums for the top three finishers — like we’ll see after Sunday’s Cup race in Mexico City — but with a caveat.

NASCAR’s first points-paying international Cup Series race in the 21st century will adhere to motorsports customs followed outside the U.S., but it shouldn’t be a fixture at all its tracks, according to the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver.

“Maybe just your crown jewel events would be a good start. But I’m not sure,” Larson said during media availability on Saturday. “I come from dirt racing where the top three have to stop on the frontstretch every night and do your interview, which we do interviews on pit road (in NASCAR) and stuff, so that’s not way different.”

Larson admitted that while it can be frustrating to force a smile after a tough race, fans appreciate seeing the top three drivers on the front-stretch for photos and the overall moment. He pointed to other forms of motorsport — especially Formula One — where the post-race podium celebrates not just the drivers, but also their countries, with national anthems adding to the occasion.

At the same time, the 32-year-old also believes that NASCAR shouldn’t lose its own identity. “I just think that’s a nice added touch. So, yeah, I think there’s ways to look at it and make it kind of feel like our own; we’re not completely copying other forms of motorsports,” he added.

Fellow Cup driver Ross Chastain said it may be difficult to have three drivers on a platform — or even as Larson said, on the frontstretch after a race — but recognition should be given to more than just the winning driver.

Larson agrees. “Second and third should be celebrated a little bit more than it is. Not only for yourself and your team, but your partners and whatnot. I think there’s ways that NASCAR can look at making it have their own kind of touch and feel,” he said.

NASCAR has tried podiums before

NASCAR has previously experimented with podium ceremonies, such as during the three years the preseason Clash was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

“I thought the L.A. Clash thing was awesome, too,” Larson said. “So, yeah, we’ve done it before. I think we can do it at other places.” 

As NASCAR continues to explore podium traditions from other forms of motorsport, the challenge lies in striking a balance between innovation and preserving its own heritage.