Shane Van Gisbergen Comes Clean on Newly Found Playoff Momentum

Shane van Gisbergen is on a tear, and his latest pole win at Sonoma Raceway proves he’s not slowing down. JR Motorsports locked out the front row for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, with SVG clocking a blistering 1:15.259s, edging out teammate Connor Zilisch by over two tenths. Just a week ago, he pulled off a Chicago Street Course sweep, winning both the Xfinity and Cup races from pole and leading Zilisch to a 1-2 finish.

“Car is really, really good,” SVG said after Sonoma qualifying. “I was having fun out there … Looking forward to the race tomorrow.” As the defending Sonoma Xfinity winner, he noted the track’s slicker conditions this year, saying, “It’s hotter than last year, so it’s a bit slippery. The car is quite different from last year … Just trying to get it a bit centered but I feel good.” That confidence is carrying him into the playoffs with serious momentum.

SVG’s recent hot streak, wins in Mexico City and Chicago, plus this Sonoma pole, has turned heads across NASCAR. From a rocky start in his first full Cup season to now being a playoff lock, the Kiwi’s found his groove, especially on road courses. His team’s celebration lunches and his own candid reflections show a driver and program hitting their stride. In a recent press conference, SVG opened up about this surge, giving fans a peek into the momentum fueling Trackhouse Racing’s charge.

Lunches for morale booster

SVG didn’t mince words about the turnaround: “The last month or two has been awesome for our team. After how it started especially on the 88 side just getting better and better. We had our win lunch for Mexico a couple weeks ago at Trackhouse and how much it meant to everyone and how stoked and appreciative we were of everything. It was really cool moment and even last week, winning again.”

The Mexico City win on June 15 at the Viva México 250 was a game-changer. Starting from pole, SVG led 60 of 100 laps and crossed the line 16 seconds ahead, the biggest road-course margin in Cup since 1979. Before that, he’d managed just one top-10 in 15 races, languishing in 33rd. That victory locked in his 2025 playoff spot and flipped Trackhouse’s No. 91 program from a work-in-progress to a postseason threat. The “88 side” nod likely refers to the part-time No. 91 car’s crew, who’ve sharpened their game, helping SVG adapt to new tracks and the Cup grind.

He kept the good vibes going, saying, “The feeling never gets old and you just keep riding the wave and again it’s how much it means to everyone and how hard everyone works. It’s a cool feeling to reward ourselves with a win and we just stay confident and the confidence keeps building.”

The win lunch at Trackhouse’s headquarters was a morale booster, celebrating the crew’s grind. Then came Chicago, where SVG swept both Xfinity and Cup races on July 5-6, a rare feat only matched by a few in NASCAR history. That made him the winningest foreign-born Cup driver, surpassing Marcos Ambrose. The Project91 initiative, meant to test international talent, has become a juggernaut under SVG, with wins validating their road-course focus. His chat with Max Verstappen before Mexico shows he’s still learning, fueling a confidence snowball that’s carrying Trackhouse into the playoffs with swagger.

SVG’s road course reign leaves Blaney in awe

Shane van Gisbergen’s Mexico City masterclass didn’t exactly catch the paddock off guard, his 2023 Chicago win already proved he’s a road-course beast. But the 16-second gap he put on the field at the Viva México 250? That was a statement. Even the 2023 Cup champion, Ryan Blaney, couldn’t help but marvel.

On SiriusXM NASCAR, Blaney said, “The only time I watch him is on the TV, because I don’t see him during the race.  He’s so far ahead of me … It’s a lot of admiration. I know how good he is.” He called SVG’s Mexico performance a “b–t kicking,” noting, “While he was coming out both ends, as he was saying in Mexico, and he still put 15 seconds on everybody. So, it’s just impressive, man.”

Ryan Blaney’s breakdown gets to the heart of SVG’s edge. Even with SMT data letting teams pinpoint time losses, chasing SVG is futile. “He’s doing all that at 90 percent,” Blaney said, marveling at how SVG stitches together perfect laps, managing bumps, braking points, and car balance with surgical precision.

Against a field with road-course studs like Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott, SVG’s still the standout, as his Chicago sweep and Sonoma pole show. While he’s 27th in points, struggling on ovals, his two Cup wins in 2025, both on road courses, outshine Blaney’s one. If SVG ever dials in ovals or cranks it to 100 percent on road courses, Blaney and the rest might just be racing for second.