Three wins in five races. Shane van Gisbergen has hit peak form at just the right moment. While he was always considered a favorite at Mexico City, Chicago, and Sonoma, sweeping the weekend in the Windy City and finishing runner-up in Wine Country in the Xfinity Series has exceeded all expectations. If that’s not a real road course specialist, what is? But what makes it even more exciting, and slightly daunting, is that SVG’s best may still be yet to come.
The Kiwi racer effortlessly dominated at Sonoma Raceway, leading 97 of 110 laps to win from pole at the Toyota/Save Mart 350. And the No. 88 crew was so confident about his triumph that they had extra tires ready for his victory celebrations, as he went on to perform burnouts on his way to Victory Lane.
Shane van Gisbergen drove efficiently at Sonoma
Chase Briscoe was awestruck after the race in Sonoma. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished runner-up on the road course, but couldn’t help but say afterwards, “I’m honestly proud of running second to that guy (SVG) because it’s like we’re playing basketball against Michael Jordan.” That’s some pretty big praise, and well deserved for his rival, who thoroughly dominated the 2.5-mile track. Even though the No. 19 Toyota gave Shane van Gisbergen something to think about in the first couple of corners on each of those restarts, he couldn’t make the crucial pass.
And a PRN Insider admitted that Shane van Gisbergen wasn’t even at his best at Sonoma. He said, “I don’t think he was at 100%. Like, I think he was just chilling for most of that race. If he wanted to go hard, he could go hard. But nobody could catch him, so why would you go and abuse your equipment? He didn’t do that. What I was most impressed about with Shane was they tried on the late race restarts, they tried to swipe the lead from him. They tried to boot him out of the way.”
It’s a sentiment that was echoed by Chase Briscoe as well, who humbly admitted, “Even if I got the lead, I mean, there was maybe a 10% chance that I would even be able to hold on to it.” Van Gisbergen drove like a man possessed, preserving his tires while posting lightning-fast lap times consistently. It’s almost like he’s so far and beyond other Cup Series racers on such tracks that the 36-year-old didn’t feel the need to push himself to the limits, opting to simply cruise his way to Victory Lane while others struggled to catch up.
SVG’s Brilliant Race Strategy: Saving the Best for Last pic.twitter.com/y6LsfipvOH
— PRN (@PRNlive) July 17, 2025
However, it’s a different story on oval tracks. As things stand, Shane van Gisbergen hasn’t finished inside the top 10 on non-road course/street race venues, and it’s an aspect of his race craft that could do with some work. With six races remaining before the playoffs begin, if the Auckland-native can get his act together on such venues, there’s no reason why he can’t compete for the Bill France Cup at Phoenix Raceway later this year.
Kyle Larson full of praise for Van Gisbergen
After a disappointing start to the season, Shane van Gisbergen seems to have finally found his rhythm at NASCAR’s highest level. The veteran racer is one of four drivers with multiple wins in the Cup Series, and has already matched Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Denny Hamlin’s record of three wins this year. If that wasn’t enough, the Kiwi has also won from pole in every race, highlighting his dominance during qualifying as well.
And Kyle Larson couldn’t help but praise his ‘rival’. Sharing his thoughts, the Hendrick Motorsports driver said, “You know, he’s so good, and it’s rare that you see somebody stand out and distance himself from the competition as much as he is. He’s way, way, way better than us at the road course stuff. And he’s got his own technique, you can call it. Not his own because the rest of the world does it — right-foot braking, clutching, and all that stuff.”
Admitting he can’t do the same, Larson said, “There’s zero chance I can learn how to do that.” That’s some big praise from a racer who is widely hailed for his versatility, and has even been described as a ‘generational talent’ by none other than Mark Martin. Seems like Shane van Gisbergen is building a fanbase both on and off the track. For his rookie Cup Series season, the three-time Supercars Champion has done pretty well, hasn’t he?
The post NASCAR Insider Claims SVG ‘Isn’t Even Trying’ On Road Courses After Back-to-Back Dominant Wins appeared first on EssentiallySports.
