Denny Hamlin makes a bold claim on SVG’s road course talent: "I don’t think you’re going to beat him straight up in a Cup Car"

Denny Hamlin didn't hold back when asked about Shane van Gisbergen's road course ceiling on the latest episode of Actions Detrimental. SVG's stunning rise in NASCAR reached another high note this past Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, where the New Zealander captured his third win of the 2025 season.

The 36-year-old Trackhouse Racing driver led 97 of 110 laps at the Toyota/Save Mart 350, fending off Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott in a chaotic closing stint. It was his third road/street course victory this year, after prior wins in Mexico and Chicago, and it once again confirmed that SVG is unlike anything NASCAR has seen in the modern era.

When asked if SVG might already be the best road course racer the Cup Series has ever seen, Hamlin said:

"I'm okay with it. I think that it's factual at this point. I don't know how we can say otherwise, because these races aren't close... when you look at probably average lap times and things like that, it's significant... especially in NextGen, you'd have to be a half a second faster than someone that you catch on a road course to pass them." (8:42 onwards)

At road and street courses this year, Shane van Gisbergen has maintained an average running position of 3.6, comfortably ahead of Christopher Bell's 10.09, the next best in the field. His three wins came by margins of 16.567s in Mexico City, 0.887s in Chicago and 1.128s at Sonoma.

In contrast, Chase Elliott's Atlanta win came by just 0.168s, and Briscoe's Pocono win by 0.682s. In a Next Gen car that has consistently compressed the field and made overtaking harder, SVG continues to dominate.

But Denny Hamlin isn't ready to give up just yet, as he added (9:36 onwards):

"The only way (to catch him) is when the field had a caution, with 12 laps to go, everyone behind him needed to pit and him stay out. That was the only shot. I think you could get him then. That's where he's going to be vulnerable. You're going to have to put him at a disadvantage on tires or strategy to, I believe overtake him... I don't think you're going to beat him straight up in a Cup car right now."

The only driver to beat SVG on a road this year was 18-year-old Connor Zilisch, who held off his Trackhouse teammate in the closing laps of Saturday's Xfinity race. Last year, it was Chris Buescher who handed SVG a defeat at Watkins Glen. Two more road races are remaining in 2025 - the Roval and the Glen. But the biggest question now is how SVG transitions to ovals, starting with this weekend's Dover race.

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Denny Hamlin recaps a quiet Sunday at Sonoma

Denny Hamlin, along with other drivers, waits for driver introductions at Sonoma. Source: Getty

Denny Hamlin's own Sonoma outing was forgettable by his standards. The No. 11 Toyota driver started 16th and never found rhythm. On Lap 62, he overdrove into Turn 2 and spun alongside his 23XI driver Bubba Wallace. This slipped Denny to the mid-pack, as he spent most of the day buried in the 30s.

The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran avoided serious damage but limped home in 20th place. He later explained on his podcast:

"It was certainly a track position race. The running order didn't change a whole lot up front... It's tough to pass... road courses, one-lane racetracks, not great for Next Gen. But it seemed like qualifying was the key to your finishing position... one of the very few weeks that I think the 11 car missed the setup." (16:55 onwards)

The day also came amid greater off-track tension. With 23XI Racing facing the threat of losing one of its charters following a court ruling, the stakes are high for Denny Hamlin's broader NASCAR interests. But at least as a driver, he gets a chance to hit the reset button at one of his best tracks - Dover Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin after winning the Wurth 400 at Dover. Source: Imagn

The 'Monster Mile' has long been a Hamlin stronghold. He's the defending race winner, has two career Cup victories at the Delaware track and has led nearly 1,000 laps there in his career. With 400 grueling miles on tap this Sunday (July 20, 2 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV), the No. 11 team will be eager to turn the page and close the growing points gap to Cup Series rivals like Kyle Larson and William Byron.