Late restarts have been something Shane van Gisbergen seems to have mastered in his short time in NASCAR, as he made places for the third time this season from that situation. At Daytona, he went from outside of the top 15 to 12th in the last few laps; in Atlanta, he went from 10th to 3rd; and in Phoenix, he went from just outside of the top 10 to finish P6. And, as it sounds, it was not easy for the Kiwi to narrowly avoid the big one.

SVG has had a fantastic start to life as a full-time racer in NASCAR. He has raced in 4 Xfinity Series races and managed to finish in the top 10 twice. To do so at a track like Phoenix, which is unlike any oval on the calendar in terms of distance, was quite impressive and will give him a lot of confidence going into the rest of the season. It is right to say that the Kalulig Racing star is settling in well and could win a race later this year.

Patience is the key for Shane van Gisbergen 

There were not one but two big junctures that could have ended his race in Phoenix. Earlier, he had a point where he lost control of his car and almost crashed out. He would have collected Anthony Alfredo in that situation had he not been able to regain control of the #97 just in time. However, SVG never made any rash decisions or was overly aggressive at any point throughout the race. He sat back and bid his time, and when the big one unfolded, that was his chance.

The wreck collected some of the best performers in the Xfinity Series today, and Shane van Gisbergen was right behind it. He did well to slam on his brakes in time to save himself, as he moved up several places thanks to that incident. Then, with 4 laps to go, race leader Justin Allgaier blew a tire and crashed, bringing out another caution. The Kiwi was marvelous on the restart, as he claimed several places within the first lap itself and finished in P6 from a starting position of P23.

Taking to his official X handle after the race, the Supercars champion said that it was all about patience and strategy on the day that allowed him to be the victor. “Pretty good day! Lots of learning, was patient at the start and built up as we went, good calls for strategy and finished P6,” he tweeted.

Many expected Shane van Gisbergen to struggle on ovals, but that has not been the case at all. The Supercars champion is proving to the stock car racing audience why he is one of the best racers in the world. However, he still does have some areas to improve in, one of which is getting used to the shifting process.

The Supercar champion opened up about one of his biggest challenges in NASCAR

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Back in his Supercar days, SVG had the gear stick to his left, but over here in NASCAR, it’s on his right. In a recent episode of the Happy Hour podcast with Kevin Harvick, the 34-year-old revealed that one of the things he was still getting used to was the H-pattern, which drew a laugh out of the 2014 Cup Series champion.

Read More – Jesse Love Builds on His Superb Start in the Xfinity Series With a Tidy P2 Finish at Phoenix

“It’s been hard now in that H-pattern. Sequential’s easy, my rally car was sequential. At Daytona the first second to third shift going across the gate, I don’t think I’ve ever used that muscle before,” the veteran motorsports athlete said. Given how much he has already improved, it will be an absolute treat to see him do what he does best in the NASCAR Cup Series. Currently, Shane van Gisbergen genuinely has the potential to be a champion in NASCAR.

But for now, his focus will be on the next race, which is at a track that plays to his strengths very well. The Circuit of the Americas is an iconic track renowned the world over, and it is the perfect place for the Supercars champion to earn his first victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He will be a favorite going into next weekend.