“These races are like a holiday to me,” said Shane van Gisbergen after the Cup Series race in Chicago. The Kiwi is becoming a real force to be reckoned with, as he swept both poles and both races, becoming only the second driver in NASCAR history to do so. Even though other Cup Series drivers have raised their game since SVG’s debut win at ‘The Windy City’ back in 2023, the 36-year-old remains in a class of his own, with plenty left in reserve to push the limits even more.
And Trackhouse Racing’s owner is beyond impressed. Justin Marks couldn’t help but praise the three-time Supercars Champion, and shared a bold claim after his dominant performances at the 2.2-mile street course.
Shane van Gisbergen’s road course dominance is unquestionable
Shane van Gisbergen is the man to beat. While calling him a championship threat might be a bit premature, unless he significantly improves on oval tracks, he is arguably the strongest road/street course driver in the Cup Series field. Other drivers already know that they’ll have to outperform the Kiwi racer six times a season on road courses if they want to stand a chance at getting a win, and with the Round 2 of the Cup playoffs featuring a road course, the Auckland-native might realistically make it all the way to the final eight.
And Justin Marks couldn’t help but sing praises for his river. The Trackhouse Racing team owner said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “We just all kind of turn into fans, honestly, when he’s (SVG) out there doing his thing, because we all just sit back in awe and just watch him. It’s really unlike anything anybody in the sport has ever seen on the road courses in a while. I just think we’re witnessing greatness. When Shane’s time in NASCAR is over, I think he’ll stand alone on the top of the mountain as the greatest road course racer that’s ever shown up in this series in 75 years.”
It can be argued that Shane van Gisbergen is the greatest stock car road racer ever. The veteran has won seven of his 16 career starts on those tracks between the Cup and Xfinity Series, highlighting his sheer dominance. Crew chief Stephen Doran compared him to a “machine” and said, “His laps are so consistent, and that’s part of why he saves his tires so well.” It’s the little things that prove to be the difference maker at such venues. One of the best examples is the Cup Series race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
“I think he will stand alone on top of the mountain as the greatest road course racer that’s ever shown up in this series.”
@JustinMarksTH says @shanevg97 will be the on road courses when his #NASCAR career is over.
More https://t.co/WGRTG5gnEd pic.twitter.com/AbkgH4oQYY
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) July 7, 2025
NASCAR went south of the border for its first points-paying race since 1958, and the high-altitude venue was going to level the playing field to some extent. But not only did Shane van Gisbergen qualify on pole, he also won the race with a margin of 16.567 seconds. If that’s not dominance, what is? And with the race in Sonoma on the horizon, SVG has the unique opportunity to tie for the series lead in wins for this year. But will that be enough to lift the Bill France Cup later this year? No.
Justin Marks sees room for improvement
Trackhouse Racing couldn’t have asked for more from Shane van Gisbergen. When they offered him a full-time seat ahead of the 2025 season, Justin Marks knew that the 36-year-old’s best chance of making it to the playoffs was through road course races. That prediction came true after the dominant win in Mexico City, followed by a street course win in Chicago. But his performances on ovals have left a lot to be desired, an aspect of his racecraft that has room for improvement.
But Marks is optimistic that SVG will continue to improve. The team owner said, “For his level of intelligence and how he studies and how he adapts and how he learns, there’s a real opportunity here for him to figure the ovals out and get fast at the ovals and to be a complete Cup driver. I think we’ve seen him coming that way just in the last month and a half. He’s pretty consistently top 20 now on the ovals when he started running kind of like 30, 32nd. I think that that development is just going to continue.”
Over the years, NASCAR has seen some real road-course experts such as Marcos Ambrose, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Robby Gordon, but it’s fair to say that Shane van Gisbergen tops them all. But now it’s time for the Auckland-native to conquer ovals as well. That would potentially make him a title favorite, one who could finally end Team Penske’s dominance in the Next-Gen era. But there’s work to be done, and Trackhouse Racing will leave no stone unturned to help their driver improve.
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