In 2024, Kyle Busch said Shane van Gisbergen was “four (to) eight years ahead of us” on street courses. Indeed, the notion is getting proven right over and over again. The three-time Supercars champion started his road course dominance in the 2023 Chicago Street Race and has not stopped since. Picking up 7 wins of his total 16 road course starts, SVG is on a different level. His growth and learning have not stopped either, and SVG attributes that to Dale Earnhardt Jr and his team.

We witnessed SVG sweep the weekend in Chicago, winning both Xfinity and Cup races from the pole. Yet a slew of challenges peppered his appearance on the 12-turn 2.2-mile circuit. SVG was nobody to back out, though, as he capitalized on the opportunity.

Shane Van Gisbergen lays out a blueprint for Sonoma

Well, the blueprint is already visible. Shane van Gisbergen picked up his third NASCAR national series pole in a row at Sonoma Raceway, wheeling the JR Motorsports No. 9 Chevy. He recorded a lap of 95.191 mph, finishing two tenths clear of teammate Connor Zilisch. With two JRM cars locking out the front row for Sonoma, Dale Earnhardt Jr. cannot be happier.

On the other side, SVG also has plenty of reasons to be grateful to Dale Jr. During his Chicago Xfinity Series attempt, a lot of mishaps could have axed his pace. For instance, on a hot day in Chicago, the Kiwi’s cool suit failed. Besides that, another road course prodigy, Connor Zilisch, was hot on his heels all day, and SVG had to go elbows out to beat him.

Hence, as Shane van Gisbergen approaches the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 race, he is thoroughly prepared. He intends to continue his road course dominance and is looking for another weekend sweep. For that, the Sonoma pole winner was grateful to Dale Jr for letting him drive the JRM car in the Chicago weekend. SVG said in a media availability, “Chicago was a huge advantage. Apart from the physical side being so hot on Saturday and the cool suit failed. So I was a bit worried on Saturday night. But during that weekend, I learned so much more than I would have. And, you know, it’s double the track time almost. It was a huge advantage last week.”

Pulling double duty is normally always a positive for drivers. While the Xfinity car and the Next-Gen car do have their differences, which can cause issues, like Christopher Bell experienced in Mexico City, for premier road racers like SVG, more track time is everything. The Kiwi has even confessed that most of his oval racing struggles stem from NASCAR’s 20-minute limit on practice time. So when Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave him a shot to race in Chicago once before the Cup race, SVG made full use of it. Now, he will look to do the same at Sonoma.

What is more? Shane Van Gisbergen is the defending winner of the Sonoma Xfinity race. Last year, he wheeled Kaulig Racing’s No. 97 Chevrolet to Victory Lane, and this year, he intends to drive the No. 9 there as well. He continued, “This week, it’s still an advantage, I feel. I wouldn’t be doing it otherwise. But it’s obviously not as big. But yeah, the cars are quite different in the way they drive, obviously, the shifting and stuff like that. But um, I feel it’s really worth doing.” He also commented on how the track has evolved: “It’s hotter than last year, so it’s a bit slippery… Just trying to get it a bit centered, but I feel good.”

Evidently, we are now facing Shane van Gisbergen’s reign in NASCAR. Quite reasonably so, as a 2025 Cup Series title run looks bright as ever – but SVG has challenges ahead.

Getting through the tricky part

Well, Shane van Gisbergen may be a road course racing god, but his troubles persist on ovals and short tracks, which are the bread and butter of NASCAR. Currently, the Trackhouse Racing No. 88 sits a dismal 27th in the overall Cup Series standings with just 308 points. His 22.947 average finish through 19 races reflects SVG’s consistent struggles on non-road course racing tracks. And SVG has not been able to improve his 14th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the best finish he has recorded on ovals this season. The playoffs are only a few weeks away, and with nine of the 10 playoff races contested on ovals, including the championship finale at Phoenix, SVG’s title run looks gloomy.

Shane van Gisbergen’s best chance lies in the lone road course in the playoffs, the Charlotte Roval. But to get to the Round 12, he needs to tackle the daunting Round of 16 races first. SVG outlined his apprehensions recently: “Yeah, that first round is going to be very difficult. It’s got one track I haven’t been to, Gateway. It’s got my favorite oval in it, Darlington. I love that place. And then Bristol, which is what I’ve found the most difficult track. I feel like I may as well be driving the other way there. It’s so hard. It’s some pretty difficult places for me. But I feel like we’re still making massive leaps on the oval, and there’s still a few weeks left to keep getting better.”

Well, NASCAR is an unpredictable sport, so who knows, maybe SVG will see a sudden uptick in his oval racing using confidence from recent wins? Meanwhile, all we can do is keep rooting for the Kiwi speedster and get dazzled by his road course glory.