Kevin Harvick predicts Viva Mexico 250 winner 2025 as the NASCAR Cup Series prepares for its race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City this weekend, sharing his forecast during the latest episode of his podcast. Harvick, a former Cup Series champion and now a commentator, revealed his choice for the upcoming race, highlighting a driver known for road course expertise.
Experts share their picks for the Mexico City race
On the ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour’ podcast, Harvick discussed the 2025 Mexico City Cup race alongside co-hosts Kaitlyn Vincie and Mamba Smith. The three presented their predictions for the Viva Mexico 250, each selecting a different driver as their likely winner for Sunday’s event.
Harvick selected Shane van Gisbergen as his pick to win at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, pointing to the driver‘s established reputation as a road course ringer. Van Gisbergen, who became well-known in NASCAR circles after securing victory in the inaugural Chicago Street Course race in 2023, now enters the 2025 season aiming for another significant road course result.
“SVG, that’s my confirmation Shane Van Gisbergen,”
Harvick said while picking the driver to win the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series Mexico City race [54:37 onwards]. —Kevin Harvick, Former NASCAR Cup Series Champion
Kaitlyn Vincie, Harvick’s co-host, went with AJ Allmendinger as her prediction, expressing hope that he could achieve his first win of the season at this event.
“I’m going to go with AJ Allmendinger. I feel like that could be an issue,”
Vincie said. —Kaitlyn Vincie, Co-Host
Mamba Smith, the other co-host, made a local choice and put his confidence in Daniel Suarez, a Mexico native. Smith stated that Suarez could leverage his home field advantage to potentially secure his season‘s first victory.
“I’m going with a hometown boy. Just give me Daniel Suarez because why not home cooking? —Mamba Smith, Co-Host
Current form of Shane van Gisbergen ahead of the race
Despite Harvick’s confident pick, Shane van Gisbergen has faced significant challenges in his full-time debut NASCAR Cup Series season with Trackhouse Racing. After 15 races this year, van Gisbergen, driving the #88 Trackhouse Chevy, has earned only one top-10 finish, managing to lead just 25 laps with an average result of 25.2. His current standing is 33rd on the Cup Series points table, holding 192 points.
Van Gisbergen made his mark in motorsport long before his move to NASCAR, primarily competing in the Supercars Championship, where he captured three titles. These credentials contribute to the high expectations surrounding him on road courses, putting him among the favorites to potentially claim a win in Mexico City.
As the anticipation builds for the Viva Mexico 250, much attention remains on whether these predictions from Harvick, Vincie, and Smith will come true at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The race is set to air on Prime Video at 3 p.m. ET, with audio coverage available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Significance of expert predictions for the 2025 Viva Mexico 250
The picks from Harvick and his co-hosts spotlight both the unpredictability of the NASCAR Cup Series and the excitement surrounding the 2025 Viva Mexico 250. With choices ranging from seasoned road course drivers to hometown heroes, the predictions add an intriguing layer to the event. Fans and analysts alike will watch closely to see if Shane van Gisbergen can overcome a tough season, or if AJ Allmendinger or Daniel Suarez can seize the moment at Mexico City’s premier NASCAR event.
