Shane van Gisbergen. So, what’s the first thought that comes to your mind when you hear the name? It’s probably ‘road-course specialist,’ right? And honestly, you wouldn’t be wrong. Since entering NASCAR, the three-time Supercars champion has quickly built a reputation for dominating whenever the schedule turns left and right, from Chicago to Texas and even Mexico City. And now, things might be changing for something even better. As SVG quietly improves on ovals, even fellow drivers like Bubba Wallace believe the New Zealander could soon rewrite his NASCAR playbook and maybe surprise the entire garage.

Bubba Wallace sees an oval breakthrough coming for SVG

“I actually went to dinner with Scotty (McLaughlin) last weekend, I said SVG will win on an oval soon. He’s good. He’s really, really good. I have a lot of confidence in him, and it shows,” said Bubba Wallace while discussing the rapid progress of Shane van Gisbergen.

For years, SVG has carried the label of a road-course wizard (NASCAR and outside), but the 2026 season is beginning to tell a different story. The three-time Supercars champion is steadily figuring out NASCAR’s oval racing, and the early results suggest the learning curve is shrinking fast. Like really fast!

Through the first four races of the season, the Trackhouse Racing driver sits fifth in the Cup Series points standings. Now, this is an impressive climb considering how the year started. After crashing out of the Daytona 500 and finishing 30th, the Kiwi bounced back with three straight finishes of 11th or better. The highlight came at Circuit of the Americas, where he delivered a runner-up finish on the kind of track that made him famous.

But what has really caught the garage’s attention is how he’s managing to score points even when things go wrong. At both EchoPark Speedway earlier this year and again at Phoenix Raceway, SVG spun twice during the races yet still fought back to salvage strong finishes. He finished 6th at EchoPark and 11th at Phoenix.

The numbers underline the improvement. His average finish sits at 12.3, which is 11 positions better than last season, and his points standing is a staggering 14 spots higher than where he was at this stage a year ago. “I feel big improvements every week still and know what’s going on now rather than just deer in headlights,” Shane van Gisbergen talked about his gains on the ovals to Frontstretch.

With Phoenix kicking off a stretch of seven tracks that also appear during The Chase, SVG’s steady oval progress could become a serious threat if the trend continues.

Wallace looks to capitalize on Vegas momentum

Even though Joe Gibbs Racing walked away with the Las Vegas Motor Speedway qualifying bragging rights, Bubba Wallace may still have a significant chance in the race itself. With a scorching lap time of 187.156 mph, Christopher Bell led the JGR attack and won the pole position for the Pennzoil 400. Bell beat teammate Denny Hamlin by 0.150 seconds with a run of 28.853 seconds, and Ty Gibbs finished sweeping the first three positions.

However, 23XI Racing may be the team that can take on the JGR trio on Sunday. Early in the 2026 season, Wallace and the No. 23 squad had a discernible advantage going into the Las Vegas race. Wallace’s performance implies he could surpass expectations, even if the team is predicted to finish in about 12th position.

The data presents a positive narrative. Wallace has had the best start to a season in his Cup Series career with an average finish of 8.8 through the first several races of 2026. He has been able to maintain his competitiveness in the standings and boost team confidence because of his consistency.

Recently, performance on 1.5-mile intermediate tracks has been a little erratic. Across his last six races on similar layouts, Wallace has posted two top-five finishes but also four results of 22nd or worse. However, momentum can occasionally triumph over patterns, particularly when a driver is on a strong streak going into the weekend. Wallace will start fourth on the grid, which is the best starting position in his career at Las Vegas, adding to his confidence.

In what is already beginning to look like one of the best starts of his career, Wallace may convert Sunday’s race into another statement run if the No. 23 team can keep up its early-season rhythm and avoid mistakes. Moreover, he can even become a strong contender for the championship, with analysis already suggesting this season could be Bubba Wallace’s best in his NASCAR Cup career.

You can tune into the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at 4 p.m. ET Sunday on FS1.