Shane van Gisbergen shares what he thinks of NASCAR's Mexico track limits enforcement
The NASCAR Cup Series debuts at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez this weekend, and pole sitter Shane van Gisbergen offered his positive take on how officials managed track limits at the Mexico City road course.
The 2.417‑mile track saw an aggressive approach after Friday’s practice session (July 13), with installations of tire barriers in multiple zones and surveillance cameras where barriers were not practical. These included an extra tire pack in Turn 6 to physically discourage drivers from cutting too far off the racing line.
The Kiwi, who qualified on pole with an impressive 93.904 mph lap, approved of the system. When asked if he was good with the new tire packs and track limits by Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, he affirmed the balance between freedom and control on the circuit.
"They give us enough leeway to cut the track, but not abuse it. I think if you go four wheels over it's kind of slower anyway, you bounce over the kerbs. So I think they've done a really good job with kerb or tire bundle placement here to allow you some wiggle room for mistakes, but also not to take the piss either," Shane van Gisbergen said.
Shane van Gisbergen, who is a three‑time Supercars champion, moved to the Cup Series this season after competing in the past season in the Xfinity Series, where he collected three wins and finished 12th in the points.
The Trackhouse Racing No. 88 Chevrolet driver has one Cup win, which came during his debut at the Chicago road course in 2023. The Viva Mexico 250 is expected to begin on Sunday (June 15) at 3 pm ET.
"It was good that they did that" - AJ Allmendinger on track limits and NASCAR's efforts
Kaulig Racing's A.J. Allmendinger also made similar comments about the efforts by NASCAR to control excessive track-cutting. The 43-year-old, who qualified in eighth place, told Bob Pockrass that the visible tire bundle worked well.
"Honestly, I wanted it there before we started more than anything, just to get away from NASCAR having to make a judgment call," Allmendinger explained after Friday’s practice.
"They’ve left it far enough off it that it still gives you a big racing line and all that, so yeah, I thought it was good that they did that," he added.
Other drivers including Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott also shared support for tires and said they preferred a physical deterrent to painted lines that rely on post-violation penalties.
NASCAR learned its lesson from the mess at COTA this spring, where hulking concrete blocks in the esses were installed but were removed after driver backlash.