This article is part of our NASCAR Barometer series.
Shane van Gisbergen flexed his road course muscle to win NASCAR's first Cup Series points race outside of the United States since 1958. With rain falling heavily on the first lap of the race, SVG's path to Victory Lane wasn't the easiest. However, he made no mistakes and made all the right strategy calls throughout the race's 100-lap distance to capture his second series win and first since joining Cup as a full-time driver. The victory, while expected, came against his run of form. Despite always having his impressive speed on display, a number of issues kept him out of Victory Lane in the road course races since winning in Chicago. Prior to winning his way into the playoff picture on Sunday, he ranked just 33rd in points with just one top-10 finish. While there is still a ton of work for him and the team to do, Sunday's victory achieves the goal he had at the beginning of the season and preparation for the playoffs begins.
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NASCAR Power Rankings After Mexico City
1. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24
Last Week: 1
Another top-10 finish at Mexico City gives Byron 10 on the year behind only Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell. He is the first driver top eclipse the 600-point mark in the standings, too. Sunday's result was not an easy one. Byron had to come through the field from the 27th starting spot under changeable conditions to grab the top finish, which is just further evidence of Byron's strength this season. His goal will be to ensure that strength increases in the playoffs, but the coming week at Pocono should be good as well. Byron started on the front row there that last two visits and finished fourth last season.
2. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20
Last Week: 4
Were it not for Shane van Gisbergen's commanding win, Christopher Bell might have been stealing the headlines. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver started deep down the order in 31st position, but pulled his way to the front, scoring stage points in the second segment before finishing best of the rest at the finish. It was Bell's 11th top-10 finish of the season, third from the last four races, and his third consecutive finish of second or better on road courses. Bell's consistency this season has him thinking of another championship opportunity. At Pocono, he finished 12th last season and claims three top-10 finishes from seven starts.
3. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11
Last Week: 2
Hamlin did not travel to Mexico City, opting to stay stateside to welcome his new child. Ryan Truex filled in behind the wheel of the No. 11, enduring a bumpy afternoon to finish 23rd. Having missed a points race, Hamlin now must apply for a playoff waiver from NASCAR in order to retain his spot in the championship fight and all of his playoff points. The birth of a child is one of the specific circumstances NASCAR cited as being waiver eligible, and there is little concern than Hamlin would not qualify. Missing the race ended Hamlin's 406-race starting streak, but he is expected to return this week at Pocono where he is a seven-time victor.
4. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5
Last Week: 3
Road course racing can be unpredictable at times and that is probably the best description of Larson's afternoon. While racing in the wet, Larson was one of several cars clouted from behind when Kyle Busch lost control and crashed under braking. It was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time for Larson, and his race was effectively ended. However, the team worked hard to make repairs and return Larson to the track to score the single point available for running the race's fastest lap. Every point matters and the No. 5 team showed more championship tenacity by ensuring they scooped up every one within their reach.
5. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12
Last Week: 5
Sunday was a productive afternoon for Blaney. While not having the pace to contend for a win, Blaney navigated the tricky conditions well and played the strategy game to score stage points in both segments before finishing the race 14th. Better news for Blaney is the coming week's visit to Pocono Raceway. He is a two-time and defending winner at the track and has seven top-10 finishes from 15 series starts. Blaney and the No. 12 squad booked their spot in the playoffs and have begun the work to ensure they are at their best when the knockout rounds begin, and Sunday's points day demonstrates that they are progressing along that path.
6. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9
Last Week: 7
Sunday's third-place finish at Mexico City was Elliott's best result of the season so far. The former series champion put his road course racing skills to good use, picking up a few stage points in the first segment and keeping his nose clean to the finish inside the top five. The finish was Elliott's first top-10 since Charlotte and his fourth top-five of the year. While it wasn't the victory the No. 9 team is hunting, it keeps them in the conversation and they sit confidently atop the point totals of teams without a 2025 win. A win is still the goal, and one might be within their reach at Pocono. Elliott won there in 2022 and finished in the top 10 in all of the three most recent Pocono stops.
7. Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing No. 1
Last Week: 6
A top qualifying effort and some time spent toward the front of the order gave hope to Chastain that a top finish could be within reach. As the race aged and pit cycles worked to completion, Chastain slipped backward and finished the afternoon in 16th. That was only Chastain's third finish outside of the top 15 since March, though. With a victory in hand, playoff preparation should still be the focus. The coming week's race could be a good measure of their progress, too. Chastain hasn't finished in the top 10 at Pocono in nine series tries and has just one top-15 finish there, a 13th-place finish in 2023. A better result this week would be a positive sign.
8. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22
Last Week: 8
Logano will be looking forward to having the last two races behind him. Sunday's 21st-place finish at Mexico was his second in a row outside of the top 20. However, he still has a coveted playoff spot and should have greater potential on the coming ovals. At Pocono specifically, Logano won from pole in 2012 and finished fifth in last year's race. In total, he has 11 top-10s from 29 career tries. Like others with a win under the belt, Logano and team will be focusing on perfecting their package for the playoffs. While Pocono should be a better opportunity, Atlanta will likely be even better.
9. Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing No. 21
Last Week: 9
The Mexico weekend was a challenging one for Berry. While not much was expected, his 26th-place finish was more disappointing than expected considering his 13th-place starting spot. Sunday's finish was also Berry's second finish worse than 25th in the last three races. The team's speed on ovals remains impressive, though. At Pocono, Berry qualified fifth last season and led eight laps before finishing 20th. Fantasy players should expect to see his strength show itself again next week. At the moment, Berry continues to be a competitive threat at certain tracks and Pocono should be one of them.
10. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23
Last Week: N/A
Wallace's drive from 25th to the 12th finishing position was a quiet statement from Wallace. He isn't known as a road course expert, but Sunday's finish extends his run of progress this season. Wallace now sits 13th in points after being on the bubble not too long ago. That climb of the standings is a result of his three consecutive top-15 finishes since Nashville, reversing his streak of three straight finishes outside of the top 30. If Wallace can keep this momentum going, he could consolidate a spot in the playoffs, perhaps even scoring a win to guarantee it.
Moving Up
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing No. 88
Van Gisbergen finally lived up to the expectations that followed him at road course races since his debut victory on the streets of Chicago. A lot can happen in auto racing, and SVG was a victim of almost everything since that Chicago triumph, but it was only a matter of time that he would visit Victory Lane again. That came with a near perfect drive Sunday in Mexico, navigating wet weather and easily gapping the field to a margin of victory of over 16 seconds at the checkered flag. It was mission accomplished for SVG and the No. 88 team. Now they need to focus their improvement on the ovals.
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports No. 48
Sunday's fourth-place finish was a strong statement from Bowman. He started the race just 29th and fought lingering pain from his heavy crash the week prior at Michigan. Bowman remains winless in 2025 but currently sits inside the playoff positions with a 22-point advantage over Ryan Preece in 17th. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Bowman make a trip to Victory Lane sooner rather than later if he can continue delivering results like Sunday's. Bowman won at Pocono in 2021 and finished third there last season. That win could come as soon as next week.
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports No. 77
Hocevar couldn't replicate his top-15 road course outing from COTA last week. In fact, he had an extremely challenging afternoon filled with spins and contact. He started 23rd and finished a lap down in 34th place. It was Hocevar's worst finish since Charlotte and his fourth finish outside of the top 25 since then, too. Still, Hocevar's best output might yet come in the second half of the schedule. Revisiting tracks he had success at in the spring could be the propellant he needs to unlock the best results of his season.
