Shane van Gisbergen could probably navigate a street course with one eye closed. The Kiwi road racing ace isn’t just fast; he is surgical. After shocking the NASCAR world with the win on his debut in Chicago in 2023, SVG hasn’t exactly slowed down. He’s becoming the measuring stick for Cup drivers any time the pavement turns tight and twisty, with three Xfinity road course wins in 2024 and a win in Mexico City in this year’s Cup Series campaign. With another trip to the Windy City this week, eyes are once again on the No. 88.

Because if there is a street course, SVG has probably got it figured out, and there’s not much Cup Series drivers can do about it. With SVG’s vast Supercars experience in Australia, and having driven on street circuits like the Gold Coast 500 in Queensland, Chicago’s winding streets didn’t trouble SVG. However, he is not immune to errors. Alex Bowman got the better of him at Chicago in 2024, and Chris Buescher did at Watkins Glen last year, too. So, while the rest of the field is wary of his threat, they’re ready to go all the way to give SVG a fight, and Joey Logano perfectly summed up the mood in the garage for this weekend.

Joey Logano is ready to drive outside his comfort zone

The three-time Supercars champion entered the 2025 Cup Series campaign with two distinct goals. Winning a road course and improving on oval tracks. The latter is still a work in progress, as SVG still sits 30th in points despite having a win on the year, but that win? Of course, it came at a road course and one that NASCAR was inaugurating, too!

Shane van Gisbergen‘s triumph at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City this year was sublime. He dominated the inaugural Viva Mexico 250 from pole to checkered flag, winning by a staggering 16.567-second margin. This was the highest margin of victory in over a decade and just showed that if there’s an unfamiliar road course in town, SVG has the upper hand.

So, leading up to Chicago this weekend, in a pre-race interview, the Team Penske driver was asked about the patience needed on a tricky street course like Chicago and whether there is a balancing act between caution and aggression. His response? Candid, classic Joey. Logano said, “Yeah, it’s easy to say that until Shane’s [van Gisbergen] out there a second faster than you, and you got to go put yourself in some uncomfortable situations, right? Like it’s easy to say that. But you got to figure out how to go fast. And last I checked with this car, there’s no going fast in your comfort zone. You just got to be pushing outside of where you feel like you’re comfortable.” 

Stepping out of the comfort zone is the name of the game in Chicago. The last two iterations have seen rain come into play, making an already challenging street course even trickier with wet tracks. It takes a great amount of mental strength to go out there and adapt to the slick street course, and SVG makes it look way too easy.

Joey Logano added, “And this track’s no exception to it. If anything, it’s just a little bit more out of your comfort zone. Probably because we haven’t done it much, right? Like we’re not road racers, to speak of, right? There’s only one out there that really is. And so, all of us are, you know, in a way playing catch-up.” Well, playing catch-up might be a bit harsh, but a nearly 17-second lead at Mexico City speaks for itself, and as Logano admitted, the Cup Series grid has a severe lack of road racing experience compared to SVG. However, amidst this praise, SVG was as humble as ever when he learned what Logano had said about him.

Shane, later hearing what Joey had to say, responded with cool humility, “Yeah, I can just flip what he says and that’s what I feel on ovals, you know… that’s the reason why I’m doing like Summer Shootout and stuff, just trying to get experience on ovals. These guys have been doing left-handers since they were 10 years old, you know.” SVG did go on to admit that his peers have gotten better at road courses over the years, but there’s no doubt that the Chicago Street Race is his to lose.

SVG’s NASCAR oval journey was off to an abysmal start in 2025. His first six oval races, including superspeedway ovals, saw him finish outside the top 20 on each occasion, with his average finish in the 30s. It was clear that something needed to change, and his crew chief has openly talked about SVG’s shift in mentality on ovals, and this has brought about a noticeable improvement. The Kiwi finished 14th at the Coca-Cola 600, one of NASCAR’s highest-speed ovals, and then survived Michigan madness to finish 18th. The reason for this uptick? Well, SVG has not been sitting idle on his oval struggles.

SVG has been quietly broadening his NASCAR skill set beyond road course supremacy by diving into the Cookout Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In late June, the Kiwi joined the pro legends field, where he earned top 10 finishes in tight, quarter-mile oval races, sharing the track with the likes of Bubba Wallace and even Scott McLaughlin. SVG described the experience as “epic,” emphasizing that these low-pressure oval races are all about mixing fun with serious driver development.

Logano chases one more win, one more title, and a legacy

A three-time champion, 37-time Cup series winner, and Daytona 500 victor, Joey Logano has checked off most of NASCAR’s most coveted milestones. At 35, Sliced Bread has fulfilled the weighty expectations placed on him since he was a teenager. And yet, he’s not close to done. Logano could very well follow Denny Hamlin as the next to hit 60 career wins, and even if he walked away today, he’d be a lock for the Hall of Fame.

When asked in Chicago what keeps him going after everything he’s already achieved, the No. 22 driver didn’t flinch. He said, “I mean, I honestly feel like I have to prove myself every day. I always say, man, ‘What you did yesterday is yesterday?’ Right? Tell me what you’re gonna do tomorrow; that’s the important stuff. You know, the history books and people’s memories are short, right? And people say, I say too, ‘You’re only as good as your last race,’ and it really feels that way a lot of times. Yeah, it’s been—I’ve had a great career, you’re right. A lot of great accomplishments, a lot of cool moments. Have I hit all the markers that I set out to hit? No, no, I haven’t. So, I still got plenty to go out there and want to achieve for sure.” 

Despite the championships and being named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list two years ago, Joey Logano still sees more markers to chase and pressure to stay relevant. While he’s missing a few crown jewels like the Brickyard 400 and Southern 500, or a Coca-Cola 600, Logano’s 2025 campaign has already delivered one win, but just like 2024, he seems to be quite under-par compared to the championship contenders with an average finish of 17, but that won’t stop him from going for a repeat championship.

A fourth title would put him among the sport’s elite, a club that only Jeff Gordon exclusively belongs to, while Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, and Jimmie Johnson sit on 7 titles. And if history has shown us anything, it’s that underestimating Joey tends to end poorly for his competitors. Joey Logano has accomplished more than most. Yet, he’s still chasing something. Not just trophies, but legacy. And by his standards, there is unfinished business left on the table.