Why Shane van Gisbergen sought Max Verstappen's advice just before dominant NASCAR win

There’s no doubt that three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen is one of the best road racers in NASCAR, again proving it in the inaugural Cup race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.

SVG ended up leading 60 of 100 laps, winning by 16.567 seconds in the biggest margin of victory seen in any Cup race since 2009. It’s also the biggest margin of victory for any Cup race at a road course in over 45 years.

In his winner’s interview, van Gisbergen discussed why he decided to message his fellow Red Bull athlete Max Verstappen on Sunday morning, inquiring about the best lines to run at this circuit in wet-weather conditions as rain was likely for the start. Verstappen, who was taking part in the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, is also a five-time winner of the Mexican Grand Prix in F1.

Back in 2023, Verstappen told the media how he was “literally screaming” as he watched SVG earn a stunning victory on debut in the NASCAR Cup race at the Chicago Street Course.

Looking for every advantage

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Van Gisbergen later expanded on the brief conversation in the post-race press conference, telling the assembled media: “I just look for every advantage I can. I know he’s raced here in the rain and he’s a friend of mine, and I walked out on to pit road this morning and it was amazing how slick it was.

“Normally on a wet circuit the tarmac has grip and the white lines are slipperier. It was the opposite. It was like ice how slippery it was out there.

“I just reached out to him, was the grip on line, off line, what kind of techniques did he use, and, yeah, he didn’t say too much, but it’s always good to get a little leg up, you know.”

And when the rain did arrive at the very start of the race, it was no surprise to see SVG leading the way as other drivers struggled to keep up with his pace. This victory now launched him into a NASCAR Cup playoff spot, completely changing the outlook for the rest of his season. And unless Riley Herbst can also win before the regular season ends, this win will essentially ensure SVG earns Rookie of the Year honors this year as well.

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