Shane van Gisbergen continues to make a powerful statement in the NASCAR Cup Series, demonstrating a mastery of road courses that has left the competition in his wake. In a stunning display of dominance at Watkins Glen in August 2025, the New Zealand native secured his fourth consecutive road-course victory, tying Denny Hamlin for the most wins of the season and setting a new record for rookie victories. 

Van Gisbergen’s performance was near-flawless; he led 38 of the 90 laps, beating second-place finisher Christopher Bell by more than 11 seconds. Despite a late pit cycle that temporarily cost him the lead, van Gisbergen’s command of the final 45 laps was absolute. Looking ahead, van Gisbergen has a pragmatic view of the Roval, a track he describes as a “funky odd track but a pretty cool challenge.” While he acknowledges the difficulties the circuit presents, particularly during the playoffs, he remains optimistic about his chances to compete and advance. But will his optimism be enough to face the oval challenge that’s coming ahead?

Can the road course king continue his streak at the Charlotte Roval?

With a formidable record on road courses, Shane van Gisbergen has consistently proven himself a master of right and left turns. However, as the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs loom, the conversation shifts from his road-course prowess to his performance on oval tracks. The first round of the playoffs will test the rookie’s adaptability, with a series of difficult oval races such as at Darlington and Illinois. SVG’s record at the speedways hasn’t been great, where he has mostly finished in the mid-pack range. If this continues to be the case, he will have to put all that he has on the final road course of the year.

Many observers are questioning whether van Gisbergen can secure a spot in the second round, which culminates in the cutoff event at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval. While the Roval is a hybrid road course where he has found success, Van Gisbergen’s inexperience on ovals could put him in a precarious position before he even gets there. During a post-race interview at Watkins Glen in August 2025, Shane van Gisbergen was asked if he felt he needed to do more preparation for the Roval race, considering the high stakes involved in it being the race right before the Round of Eight.

Responding to the question, the New Zealander reflected on his prior experience at the Roval. “Yeah, I did that race last year in a Kaulig car and it was a fast car, but we didn’t quite get it right in the race,” he said. In 2024, Shane van Gisbergen drove the No. 97 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing full-time in the Xfinity Series. During this time, he secured three wins, all of which came on road courses: at Portland International Raceway, Sonoma Raceway, and the Chicago Street Course. He also drove part-time in the Cup Series with the same team that year, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet for seven races.

SVG described the Roval track as a “funky, odd track, but a pretty cool challenge,” adding that he believes “it races well.” Looking ahead to the playoffs, he acknowledged the race’s importance. “Yeah, that’s in the second round, I believe. So, looking forward to that, but yeah, I think we got plenty of races before then, but that’ll be obviously a good one for us if we make it to the second round.”

Van Gisbergen’s confidence stems from his belief in continuous improvement. He is banking on the experience gained from running these tracks for a second time, a strategy that paid dividends during his time in the Xfinity Series. Whether this trend continues will be the key to his playoff survival, as he navigates a steep learning curve against seasoned competitors.

Shane van Gisbergen conquers his record fourth win at Watkins Glen

Shane van Gisbergen’s win at Watkins Glen International was a historic achievement, putting him in the NASCAR record books. His father, Robert van Gisbergen, watched proudly from the stands as SVG earned his fourth straight win on a road or street course, a feat only matched by Chase Elliott and Jeff Gordon.

This iconic win at the Glen was especially sweet for van Gisbergen, who finished as the runner-up there just last season. It was his fourth road-course victory of the season, following triumphs in Mexico, the Chicago Street Circuit, and Sonoma. The weekend itself was a whirlwind of highs and lows. While pulling double duty, van Gisbergen’s day took a turn during the Xfinity race when he made contact with Connor Zilisch while in the lead, causing him to spin and hit the wall.

He was forced to retire from the race, barely making it back to the pit lane. In Cup qualifying, he was edged out by Ryan Blaney by 0.33 seconds, who took the pole. But when the green flag dropped for the main event, van Gisbergen was in a class of his own, taking the checkered flag with a commanding 11.16-second lead over Christopher Bell. Bell passed Chris Buescher in the final two laps to finish second, while Buescher settled for third, followed by William Byron in fourth and Chase Briscoe in fifth.

This victory marked van Gisbergen’s fifth career Cup win, a significant milestone as the playoffs approach. He broke the record for most single-season rookie wins, a title previously held by Tony Stewart and tied by Jimmie Johnson. Unlike his predecessors, all of van Gisbergen’s five wins have come on road courses. The win also strengthens his position heading into the playoffs and highlights the growing success of his partnership with Trackhouse Racing.