You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but Shane Van Gisbergen might just be the exception. At 36, the three-time Supercars champion has taken the NASCAR world by storm in his first full-time Cup season. The Kiwi already matched Jeff Gordon’s record for consecutive road course wins. But for the longest time, one thing stood in his way: the ovals.

They were his kryptonite. Yet true to his word, SVG let it take its own course. He said, “It will take time, and I’m not trying to force it or get desperate. Just going to keep working and building.” Fast forward to September, and the Trackhouse racer finally broke through with his first top-10 on an oval at Kansas Speedway. It was a moment that showed fans across NASCAR that SVG’s persistence is paying off and that his climb is only just the beginning.

Shane van Gisbergen’s upward oval learning curve

Shane van Gisbergen came into NASCAR with a sterling résumé on road and street courses, but the oval tracks proved to be a steep learning curve. The Auckland-native has time and again admitted that the ovals were a major weakness, and after his win in Mexico City, he said, “I’m not here to run last on the oval either.” The transition from dominating road layouts to mastering the continuous left turns, traffic, tire wear, and unique discipline of ovals was proving tougher than expected.

But things changed for the 36-year-old driver mid-season. His oval game started to improve. In the last seven oval races in July, his average finish had improved to about 22nd. He acknowledged the team was making progress and that the Oval results would need to catch up to his stellar road form. Then came a landmark moment. On September 28 at Kansas Speedway, SVG recorded 10th place, his first top 10 finish on a true oval in the Cup Series. That result marked a turning point. The kryptonite of the ovals was no longer entirely invincible.

Moreover, even Bubba Wallace was more than impressed by SVG’s oval growths. The wager was cemented in a lighthearted text exchange that Wallace later shared publicly. Wallace had jokingly told SVG something along the lines of, “If you ever out qualify me on an oval, I’m retiring.” Fast forward to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and SVG set up a blazing 10th-place starting position, while Wallace qualified 14th. Wallace then posted a screenshot of their exchange with the caption, “Ole bloke outqualified me; now I gotta retire @shanevang97.”

One can’t mention SVG’s oval growth without mentioning his first-ever pavement oval at the grassroots level. SVG participated in the Pro Legends, a feature at the Summer Shootout event in 2025 at Charlotte Motor Speedway late in July, and Bubba Wallace was left stunned. He said, “Not the ending to the shootout that we wanted, but it was cool to see SVG get this first Oval win. He had to go down a couple levels to Legend Car to get it, but all in all, it’s been fun racing with him and Scotty, and Keelan this year. Hope for better results, but all in all, it was good.”

Although his results haven’t been extremely consistent, Shane van Gisbergen has shown significant improvement. He finished 33rd at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but wrapped up a 14th-place finish at Martinsville on October 26th. Earning Rookie of the Year wasn’t just a fluke. His 5 road course wins, coupled with strong performances on ovals and short tracks, despite not making a deep playoff run but fighting valiantly in the Round of 16, are what make him worthy of the accolade.

Given his pace, skill, and adaptive mindset, many expect his next breakthrough on a short or intermediate oval to come sooner rather than later. He may still be positioned as NASCAR’s king of the road, but the oval race book is increasingly looking like a field he can conquer as well. Recently, amid Trackhouse surprising SVG in the best possible way, NASCAR fans are more than ready to see the Kiwi fire off his jets in 2026.

NASCAR fans are hopeful for SVG’s first oval Cup win

Reddit fans have been buzzing about SVG’s rapid growth on ovals, and the reactions paint a clear picture of admiration mixed with cautious optimism. One fan summed up the general sentiment perfectly, saying, “I think it goes without saying based on the last half of this past season, absolutely, yes.” That confidence didn’t come out of nowhere; it’s been building steadily as the three-time supercar champion transitioned from road courses to ovals with an unexpected sharpness.

Another fan pointed out the obvious but important truth, “Have you not watched the races? Will he win on those tracks? Probably not. But he has VASTLY improved on ovals. It’s just unrealistic to expect him to compete for wins on those tracks, especially consistently.”

Still, optimism remains strong among the NASCAR faithful. Several fans have noticed his progress firsthand, especially in the latter half of the season. “Well, he improved at Martinsville between the first race and the second race this year. And got a top 10 in the second half of the season so it’s not like he’s been stagnant,” one viewer wrote.

Meanwhile, another echoed that belief, “SVG has already shown significant improvement; I think he could potentially contend at 1-2 oval races this next season.”  The Kiwi isn’t just learning; he is adapting fast, gaining ground with each lap, and steadily proving that his road course brilliance can extend into America’s toughest ovals.

However, progress is never linear, and there will always be setbacks with such a drastic transition in racing styles. That’s why one fan said, “Shane seems to be improving slowly on ovals, if his results are to look at. Kinda unfortunate that he sometimes becomes a victim of crashes there, though.”

Yet even that realism doesn’t overshadow the optimism of another fan confidently predicted, “I think he will. He’s always learned on an exponential scale when getting in a new series.” The overall tone is clear from the fans. Shane van Gisbergen’s story in NASCAR is still being written, and the next chapter might just feature his first oval win.