Van Gisbergen's emotional win in Mexico City locks him into NASCAR playoffs

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.

“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.

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.”

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!

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

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

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

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)

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

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

Cole Custer (41) leads the pack during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Daniel Suarez (99) and Shane Van Gisbergen (88) drive during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

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

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)