Shane van Gisbergen stormed back into the NASCAR Cup Series playoff conversation in style, taking a commanding victory in the inaugural Mexico City race, but even with a historic win under his belt, the Kiwi ace admits there’s still work to be done on ovals if he’s to justify a full-time spot in the series.
Van Gisbergen delivered a clinic at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, crossing the line a staggering 16.567 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell in what was the largest margin of victory in a Cup race since 2009.
The win all but guarantees SVG a place in the playoffs, yet it’s also reignited debate around the playoff format and whether a driver with a single road course win should qualify over others grinding week-in and week-out on ovals.
“That’s why I’m here, to win road races,” van Gisbergen said after the race.
“But I’m not here to run last on the ovals either. I need to keep getting better to justify being a Cup Series driver. I need to be performing on the ovals, too.”
He’s right to be cautious. Of the 36 races on the Cup calendar, only six are road courses, with just one road race in the playoffs. The remaining championship-defining rounds will take place on ovals, a discipline SVG has worked relentlessly to adapt to after switching from Supercars to NASCAR in 2023/24.
SVG’s transition hasn’t been easy. In the first eight oval races of the season, he finished 31st or worse in six of them. However, recent form shows a more competitive trend: three top-20 finishes in the last four oval events, including a season-best 14th at the Coca-Cola 600, plus a pole in the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro.
“I am getting better and more competitive on ovals,” van Gisbergen said.
“I’ve been methodical, gotten better every week. It’s been really fun working with my #88 crew all year. The last couple of months, yeah, it’s been great to show some improvement and be competitive.”
Van Gisbergen even poked fun at his own slow start to the season, referencing Red Bull F1’s famously ruthless approach to driver turnover.
“I’m glad I didn’t drive for Red Bull F1 after how the first few rounds went,” he joked.
“Justin [Marks] has been amazing, supporting me and just giving me all the time I need and not putting pressure on me. It’s been really cool.”
His crew chief, Stephen Doran, echoed the sentiment, pointing out the scale of the challenge SVG has faced.
“He’s going to a lot of these places for the first time in a Cup car, just figuring out how to race ovals with this type of car. So we knew it would be a struggle. But it’s a huge relief to get this win, a real momentum builder.”
Despite the win, van Gisbergen’s post-race celebration was slightly delayed after suffering a stomach illness on race day. He skipped some of the pre-race formalities but was all smiles after taking the checkered flag, even hinting at how he planned to celebrate.
“I’m going to mix some Red Bulls with some adult beverages,” he laughed.
“Yeah, it means everything to us.”
Still, controversy brews among some in the NASCAR community, with murmurs suggesting that a road course win alone shouldn’t be enough to punch a playoff ticket, particularly if it comes while struggling elsewhere.
SVG isn’t oblivious to that conversation. He admits he still feels like a rookie on ovals, saying he’s essentially had to “start again” this year, even after a season in the Xfinity Series.
“There’s no comparison to how they drive, how they react in the air. I feel like I’m learning everything again,” he explained.
“I went to Nashville the other week, and the cars drive nothing similar [to what I’m used to]. I feel like I’m a complete rookie all together, but the results are improving, and the pace is getting better.”
Even through the grind, SVG says the morale inside the team is building with every small gain.
“You just feel the confidence in the team and even the pit crew guys. Everyone has just been uplifted over the last few weeks. My restarts are finally in the positive when they had been well negative for the first half of the year. Every single area we seem to be getting a lot better in. It’s been fun.”
While SVG’s road course dominance is undeniable, his long-term NASCAR future and ability to contend for a championship will hinge on how well he continues to adapt to the ovals. With tricky tracks like Pocono, where he’s yet to race in a Cup car, still to come, the Kiwi will be looking to prove he’s more than just a road course ringer.
“If we keep progressing on the ovals, then these road courses coming up, anything can happen. I’m relatively happy,” he added.
For now, though, with a breakthrough win and a potential playoff berth secured, van Gisbergen has silenced the doubters, at least for one week, and reminded the NASCAR world why Trackhouse Racing bet big on a Kiwi with a world-class resume and unwavering drive to improve.
Header Image: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
