Richard Petty Doesn’t Sugarcoat Feelings on Playoff Format After Shane van Gisbergen Win in Mexico originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Sunday’s race in Mexico had an interesting connection to Richard Petty. The last time the NASCAR Cup Series held an international points-paying race back in 1958 in Toronto, a 20-year-old Petty made his debut.

Shane Van Gisbergen dominated the NASCAR Cup Series in Mexico and secured a spot in the playoffs after leading the final 32 laps and winning by more than 16 seconds

The excitement was palpable amongst the fan base that turned out to see the NASCAR Cup Series debut at Mexico City's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and compete in the series' first international points-paying race since 1958.