Shane van Gisbergen’s fourth regular-season victory, earned at Watkins Glen International, has increased his chances of advancing through the playoff rounds. He has high hopes for his team despite the first round featuring races exclusively on ovals, saying he's getting better at it.After the Go Bowling at The Glen, SVG, 36, has earned 22 playoff points, the third-most behind Denny Hamlin (24) and Kyle Larson (23) with two regular-season races remaining. He earned the points through victories on road courses, including Mexico, Chicago, and Sonoma.The first round (Round of 16) will only host races on ovals, namely Darlington, World Wide Technology Raceway (Illinois), and Bristol. If the Kiwi driver can survive the first three races, he will compete in the final of six road course events scheduled this year at Charlotte Roval, where he should be among the favorites to win and advance to the Round of 8.Speaking about his 22 playoff points and the forthcoming postseason, Shane van Gisbergen said (via NASCAR):“Ain't going to be easy, that's for sure. The first round has very difficult left-handed tracks for me, but I'm getting better at it, and I'm enjoying myself, and it's a challenge. But that's why we're here, and we'll have a proper crack.”For now, though, NASCAR is scheduled for 400 laps around Richmond Raceway (Cook Out 400) next week, preceding the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway (Coke Zero Sugar 400). SVG will enter the Cook Out 400 while sitting in the 25th spot in the standings with four wins, four top-5s, and five top-10s, all of which were recorded on road courses.“I couldn't be happier”: Shane van Gisbergen on multi-year extension with Trackhouse RacingShane van Gisbergen recently signed a multi-year extension with Trackhouse Racing. He noted that the team still has plenty of work ahead, likely focused on improving his speed on ovals, but said he couldn’t be happier to keep driving the #88 Chevrolet Camaro.The three-time Supercars champion stated (via NASCAR):“I feel like Trackhouse Racing is my home.”“Trackhouse gave me the opportunity to race at Chicago in 2023. That was just a one-race deal, and everything that has happened since then is because of the chance Justin took on me. The men and women at Trackhouse have helped me feel at home in this new challenge, and I’ve been loving every minute of it. We still have a lot of work to do, but I couldn’t be happier,” he added.Shane van Gisbergen driving the #88 Chevrolet Camaro at Watkins Glen International - Source: ImagnSVG made his NASCAR debut in the #91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, the same car driven by renowned racers like Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen, on the streets of Chicago two years ago, where he claimed victory. The following year, he competed full-time in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing before beginning his rookie Cup Series season in 2025.For 2026, the road course ace will compete alongside Ross Chastain, who drives the #1 Chevy. Daniel Suarez, meanwhile, will part ways with the team at the end of this season.