“He’s Not Superman”- Spire Motorsports Veteran Pushes Back on SVG’s Dominance After NASCAR Road Course Surge

The official course map and seating layout for next June’s groundbreaking three-series showdown at Naval Base Coronado may still be under wraps until later this month, but when it comes to the featured Cup race, the paddock only has its odds on one favorite. Shane van Gisbergen has become the bogeyman of NASCAR street races. Moreover, he currently finds himself in the playoffs thanks to his 5 wins. However, one Spire Motorsports veteran is sounding off alarms on SVG’s road course stint, especially since NASCAR just added one more to its calendar in 2026.

This year alone, SVG has notched a perfect 4 with Chicago, Mexico City, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen, leaving everyone else chasing shadows. His career stats only hammered the point home. In 41 Cup starts, he has racked up five wins, four poles, and nine top tens. In 36 Xfinity Series appearances, he has added another four wins, five poles, and 12 top 10s. Every single win and pole has been snatched on the road or street courses. So what is the secret? Rivals toss around plenty of theories. Some point to his bulky Australian roots, while others zero in on his precision foot and toe paddle work. But Michael McDowell, a NASCAR veteran with his own road course pedigree, has watched SVG closely enough to chart his own theory.

Speaking to the San Diego Union Tribune, he said, “I have a different perspective of this. What he’s doing right now is incredible. But he’s not Superman. He’s doing everything just a little bit better because of his background. He brakes a little later and different going into a turn. His line through turns is a little different. He accelerates a little earlier exiting turns. It’s a matter of feet. But it’s turn after turn, lap after lap. He’s pushing all of us to be better. He’s pushing everyone to make some adjustments. And it will happen. It’s just a matter of time.”

Michael McDowell‘s road course stint goes way back. He is a proven threat himself, thanks to his open-wheel and sports car background, and is quick to remind people that he is no slouch on these road courses. After all, he bagged the Indy Road Course win in 2023.

And now, as NASCAR is charting a fresh road course adventure, swapping the Windy City streets for the sun-soaked tarmac of San Diego and the highest security backdrop of Coronado, the track’s layout may be a mystery, but SVG’s status as the man to beat feels like a foregone conclusion.

Still, Spire Motorsport‘s McDowell isn’t ready to roll over and let the Kiwi walk away with that. He concedes that the Next-Gen car suits SVG’s skill set perfectly; its feel mirrors the Supercars he has mastered for years, but he warns that dominance like this rarely lasts forever. While that’s that, SVG has also handed out lessons in the Xfinity Series, where the cars share more in common with the previous generation of Cup cars. That adaptability is dangerous, but so is believing that one is untouchable. And as SVG had a turbulent start to the playoff season at Darlington, he has recently sounded off on his upcoming races.

Shane van Gisbergen voices his thoughts as he fights for his playoff survival

Shane van Gisbergen’s playoff campaign has taken a hit, sliding from 6th to 12th in the standings after a bruising Southern 500 at Darlington that kicked off the three-event Round of 16. A frustrating 32nd-place finish now leaves the Cup Series rookie just three points clear of the cut line for the Round of 12, with Gateway and Bristol looming large.

The odds might not be stacked in his favor, but SVG isn’t ready to fold. Determined to keep the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Camaro in the fight, he is doubling down on what he calls his greatest asset  — his crew. He said, “The biggest strength is my team. I’ve got awesome people in my corner, and I know they’ll do anything for us to succeed. Seeing the work and preparation in the team has been awesome. The vibe and how knuckled down everyone is so special and it’s really cool to be a part of that. The weakness is me. It’s my inexperience and I’ve got those people helping me to get better.”

That inexperience will be tested again this weekend as SVG takes on the 1.25-mile Gateway oval for the first time in his career. Darlington was a grind; handling issues plagued the No. 88 Camaro, and a race strategy gamble in the final stage backfired. He admitted, “I was pretty down about our result on Sunday night, but we have two more weeks to have good results, try to do better myself and get our car better, which we are capable of. I’ve never been to this track, so preparation and practice will be key to a good result on Sunday.”

The Kiwi star insists that he is approaching the playoffs with the same mindset that carried him through the regular season, though he is acutely aware that the margin for error is razor-thin. And now all eyes will be on SVG as he battles his biggest enemy: the oval racetracks.