‘Salty’ Cup Star Trashed by Fans for Issuing Controversial Statement Against Rookie Driver

Shane van Gisbergen’s rookie season has been anything but ordinary. Being the only rookie to enter the playoffs after beating Riley Herbst, he will be awarded the Rookie of the Year title after the season. In just a handful of months, the three-time Supercars champion has stormed onto the NASCAR Cup Series scene, redefining what dominance on road and street courses looks like. Each outing has reinforced the same narrative: whenever the Cup Series calendar turns to a road course, the rest of the field is racing for second place. But despite this dominance, there’s one driver who isn’t very convinced with his road master’s rising stardom.

SVG’s meteoric rise has left the garage grappling with a new hierarchy. Street layouts and technical tracks once known for chaos now seem firmly in SVG’s control. For veterans who have spent years building reputations on these circuits, the shift is jarring. One such veteran among them is Michael McDowell, the 2023 Indy road course winner and one of NASCAR’s most accomplished road course drivers. Often known for his salty and sometimes sharp responses, McDowell has stepped forward to address the ‘SVG phenomenon’ head-on, forcing competitors to rethink their approach.

The Spire Motorsports driver recently weighed in on SVG’s surge, framing the discussion around perspective. “What he’s doing right now is incredible. But he’s not Superman,” said McDowell, as tweeted by NASCAR reporter Adam Stern. While he praised SVG’s skill, McDowell pointed out that the margins of domination are narrow, insisting the rest of the field would eventually adapt. “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.”

But that attempt at balance struck a nerve. Many fans interpreted McDowell’s “not Superman” remark as dismissive rather than constructive. On Reddit and social media, criticism piled up, with detractors accusing him of sounding bitter. What McDowell framed as motivation was taken by some as frustration, sparking heated debate about whether SVG’s current run is a short-term imbalance or the start of a long-lasting era.

Fans come in support of the rookie NASCAR driver

The first fan reaction took readers back to an early encounter between the two drivers. Before SVG’s rookie dominance became a headline, he had already shown flashes of superiority in Chicago. The fan wrote, “This reminds me of the first stage of the street course race where SVG was p2 behind McDowell and kept making fun of how McDowell was missing corners. He’s genuinely playing with his food at road courses.” The memory underlined SVG’s ability to pressure veterans and make them appear vulnerable. By recalling McDowell struggling to hold lines, the comment suggested that SVG’s current dominance is simply a continuation of what he had shown from his first Cup start.

Another fan focused not on SVG’s brilliance but on McDowell’s role in stoking this debate. The controversy was less about SVG’s talent and more about McDowell being unable to back up his talk. They reminded others, “Let’s not forget McDowell started this by publicly saying he was beatable and then never being able to beat him.” This criticism pointed to the irony of McDowell’s remarks. Back in July, McDowell had tried to argue that SVG could be stopped, saying, “He’s not unbeatable,” but his own results never matched those words. Instead, SVG kept winning road courses while McDowell’s campaign faltered.

A third reaction honed in on the sheer difficulty of beating SVG since his Cup arrival. The point was clear: SVG only falls to the very elite. The fan remarked, “The only two who’ve been able to beat him are some kid and a guy from Prosper Texas 😂.” This was a reference to Kyle Larson and William Byron, both top-tier Hendrick Motorsports drivers. By bringing up this rare company, the fan cast SVG as nearly unbeatable on road courses, leaving little room for drivers like McDowell to realistically challenge him.

For a change, not every fan was critical of McDowell. Some saw value in his perspective, saying, “Started what? McDowell is speaking very highly of him here, and I personally think he’s speaking the truth. He’s going to push guys to get better. He’s not going to push everyone to get better. But certainly the upper echelon of drivers.” For this corner of the fan base, McDowell’s words were not salty, but measured. They interpreted his “not Superman” remark as recognition that SVG is human, even if elite, and that only top drivers will meaningfully rise to meet his standard.

The final comment widened the scope by pointing to SVG’s career beyond NASCAR. “He has won in almost if not everything he has driven including Supercars, GT cars, open wheelers, sprint cars, rally cars, NASCAR. We don’t really have a big paved oval scene down in the part of the world so it will take time for him to get his head around it.” It suggested that his road course mastery is no surprise, and that his only learning curve in NASCAR lies on ovals rather than the technical tracks where he thrives.

Taken together, these fan reactions reveal a split narrative. Some see McDowell’s words as excuses in the face of SVG’s road course mastery. In contrast, he’s also defended as a realist, acknowledging a rare talent. Yet, the common thread is SVG himself. His dominance on road courses has become the talking point of town, whether you love it or hate it.