Kyle Larson may be the jack of all trades when it comes to motorsports, but Shane Van Gisbergen would rather master one. NASCAR’s punishing calendar has been making rounds, and he is far from alone in his frustration with the sport’s relentless schedule. As a driver who has made his presence known in other series, the Kiwi has joined the mix in voicing concern about the nearly year-long NASCAR schedule. And he is left shaking his head vigorously.

SVG may be open to race on New Zealand speedways

Speaking on SpeedCafe’s YouTube video, the New Zealander set his tone for racing outside of NASCAR and has shut the door on further opportunities.

“Yeah, it’s too hard,” he said. “Like we do 37–38 weeks, you know, our season goes on with the breaks and the Bowman Gray pre-race or preseason race. It’s hard, you know, and then the season finishes, and most other rally in New Zealand’s finished, Australia’s finished.”

And it surely gets difficult to race during and after the season too. A few days ago, the International High Limits were being embraced by Aussie fans, with NASCAR talents like Kyle Larson shaking up the field, but it takes a lot of determination and stamina to race in the offseason as well.

This is nothing compared to the jam-packed schedule Larson had in 2025, running dirt races on weekdays and attempting the Double Duty; it all sounds like too much.

So while Larson likes to enjoy racing dirt, IndyCar, and other races in the middle of the season, Shane van Gisbergen has no interest in following that blueprint.

The NASCAR schedule is a marathon. Racing for almost 32-36 Sundays of the 52 in a year is definitely grueling. And it’s not just the drivers, everyone in the garage has to face it, like how Kaitlyn Vincie had also spoken for broadcasters.

“Honestly, sometimes I have to laugh at my schedule and how many things I seem to put on my plate for no reason… the career is very demanding.”

The sport seems to come alive only during the playoffs, making the rest of the season seem “stale,” as per Larson’s teammate, Chase Elliott. This can potentially cause a lot of burnout among the racers.

And the 2026 schedule isn’t any better.

Even though the two built-in off weeks were added to the 2026 schedule, one after Martinsville and another between Indianapolis and Iowa, many drivers and fans feel the season could be more balanced with more breaks peppered throughout rather than clustered in just a couple of pockets.

Spreading out the calendar would definitely help reduce burnout and make each race feel more meaningful, keeping drivers fresh and fans more engaged all season long.

However, as SVG preps for the 2026 season, he isn’t really nodding away at the possibility of not racing in New Zealand.

“And then, yeah, hopefully next year, if Speedway’s kind of settled down in New Zealand, I’d love to go do some races there,” the Trackhouse Racing driver added. “Because it’s pretty shut down here in America this time of year, the winters are harsh, and I’d love to get home and spend more time in summer would be good.”

And while Larson lost out on a bit of money at the Perth Motorplex, the 2025 NASCAR Cup champion is more than ready to pick himself up and dust himself off for the upcoming Chili Bowl event.

This definitely seems like a lot, and maybe SVG isn’t ready to take up external racing just yet. And while extracurriculars may not be in his cards, the 36-year-old driver is more than ready to build on his oval game for 2026.

Top Stories

Greg Biffle’s $4M Prized Possession Goes Up for Sale After Tragic Crash, Leaving NASCAR Fans Heartbroken

NASCAR World Mourns as Former Watkins Glen President Michael Printup Passes Away at 60

Fox Broadcaster Pens Heartfelt Message as Veteran Announcer Quits NASCAR

Denny Hamlin Offers First Words Since Losing Beloved Father in Anniversary Fire

3x Indy 500 Champion Driver Eyes to Live 19-YO Dream With Surprise NASCAR Return

SVG looks to improve his oval game in 2026

SVG’s 2025 season was built on broad course success as he closed the year with five wins and seven top 10 finishes, most of them coming on road and street circuits.

However, early on, ovals proved to be his biggest challenge. Finishing regularly outside the top 20, SVG had to adapt to NASCAR’s unique oval racing demands and the car’s handling characteristics.

As the season wore on, the narrative began to change. SVG steadily improved on ovals, breaking into the top 20 tracks like Michigan and Darlington before reaching a major milestone in September with his first oval top 10 finish at Kansas Speedway.

But it was that late-season search that carried real meaning.

Speaking with Speedcafe, the Kiwi driver explained that the pressure of the players initially stalled his momentum, but once eliminated from championship contention, the team was free to experiment.

“I didn’t do a good enough job, and that’s the pressure of the playoffs,” he said. “I didn’t drive well enough, and yeah, as soon as the playoffs ended, the very next week, we tried some different setups, thinking that, ‘Oh, we’re out of the playoffs. We’ll take some risk with some cars.’”

Those changes address a key weakness in coroner entry, an area where he had lagged behind his teammates. With a setup better suited to his driving style, the results followed quickly.

He qualified at New Hampshire and ran inside the top 10 during stage one, backed it up with another 10th at Kansas, and showed a strong base at Las Vegas.

While there is still room to grow, the trajectory is obvious. He enters 2026 with confidence, momentum, and a rapidly improving oval program, a reminder to look up series drivers that he is no longer just a road course threat.