“I feel like we’re getting better and better every week.” These words may seem common from another Cup Series driver. But since they belong to Shane van Gisbergen, they are enough to send chills to his competitors. Last week, SVG scored his first-ever oval victory in a Legends Car during the Pro Legends A-Feature at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Although this oval success did not continue into Iowa, his rivals hardly have time to rest – as William Byron is fearing for Watkins Glen.

The NASCAR Cup Series will head to the 8-turn, 2.45-mile road course in the upcoming weekend. William Byron already has a win and three top ten finishes at Watkins Glen. But even after clinching a fresh victory, Byron is apprehending another SVG attack.

William Byron is alert about the Kiwi

With good reason too, considering Shane van Gisbergen’ magnificent streak this season. The Kiwi speedster fooled everyone in the first stretch of 2025, barely finishing within top 25 in most races. But he did a 180 degree flip on his narrative once NASCAR visited Mexico City. SVG picked up three consecutive road course victories, making jaws drop in the NASCAR garage and the community. Conversations about SVG’s global status as a legendary racer did the rounds. They have persisted across his twin finishes outside top 30 in Dover and Iowa. Hence, even though SVG suffered a pair of spins last Sunday in Iowa and finished 31st, the race winner absolutely admires him.

That is, of course, none other than William Byron. He masterfully used a fuel mileage strategy and made use of the 11 caution flags in Iowa. Staving off the fierce charges of Brad Keselowski and Chase Briscoe, Byron broke a 22-race winless spell since his Daytona 500 victory in February. Even amidst the celebrations, however, Byron is apprehending the next race in Watkins Glen, another home ground for SVG. He conceded superiority to the Kiwi road racing god: “I think, obviously, SVG’s gonna be really fast. So, it’s kind of keeping up with him, but also setting the standard for ourselves and what we need to continue to improve at Watkins Glen.”

Along with SVG’s undeniable threat, William Byron analyzed the other challenges as well. He had already won in Watkins Glen back in 2023, leading 65 of 90 laps and taking advantage of the green flag pit stops. He said, “Watkins Glen is a really important track…Last year was a struggle with this new tire. It was tough on us. We didn’t have a great weekend. But I think this year can be a lot better. We’ve learned a lot with the tires. So, just gotta go there and prepare well throughout the week. And definitely still a lot more prep to do for Watkins Glen.”

William Byron may need to look out for SVG more, given the Kiwi’s recent heartbreaks.

Looking forward to redemption

We all know that when SVG seeks redemption, all hell breaks loose. It broke loose in the form of his three-win peat this season. In the upcoming race as well, the Kiwi speedster has some unfinished business. Shane van Gisbergen could not beat Chris Buescher in the 2024 Watkins Glen race. Wualifying third for that race, most of his run was flawless, making a three-wide move on his rival for the lead. But on the final trip through the ‘Bus Stop’, Buescher jumped to van Gisbergen’s inside and muscled his way by for the lead. That led to SVG’s runner-up finish – a sore wound that the Kiwi hopes to heal this week.

What is more, his failure at Iowa will also linger in SVG’s mind. At first, he lost control of his No. 88 Chevy on lap 169, and then Kyle Busch tipped him into a spin on lap 263. SVG reflected on his race on Sunday, but focused on the positives. “I felt like on most restarts, that’s where we were making our gains. We had good speed and were getting right in the mix. That’s been a weakness of mine, and I feel like we’re getting better and better every week. We just need to get building on that. It’s not a great result, but there’s a lot of positives that have come out of today.”

Clearly, Shane van Gisbergen is preparing himself for another showdown in Watkins Glen. Let us see is William Byron’s apprehensions turn true.