“I try and live on the positive side”: Shane van Gisbergen gets real about his mindset over criticism of his dominance

The Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen recently spoke about his Cup Series race held on Sunday at Watkins Glen. He spoke about the criticism around his dominance and how he tries to live on the positive side of things.

The New Zealander drives the #88 Chevrolet ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing. He won the Go Bowling at the Glen held at Watkins Glen, marking his fourth win at a road course this season. His dominant performances have caused some fans to criticize the driver.

While on Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour podcast, Mamba Smith questioned the 36-year-old about the online criticism from fans. Shane van Gisbergen replied by saying:

"Well obviously I've seen a bit of it but yeah, I try and live on the positive side, I guess. But yeah, it's hard, you know what it's like when someone dominates you know you want change and want a difference, but yeah, for us, we've had an amazing run, but you know, boring is good when you're the one who is winning." (0:58 onwards)

"When you know you don't want it to be changed, so it's probably better that, but we've had an amazing run, and we've had some really good race cars, which, they make it look easy, which it never is. We've just been executing and getting everything right, and yeah, the speed certainly helps."

Van Gisbergen started the race at Watkins Glen in second place to take the victory. With this win, he made history as he became the fourth driver in NASCAR to win four straight road course races.

---

Kevin Harvick speaks about the hostility towards dominant drivers like Shane van Gisbergen

Kevin Harvick recently spoke about Shane van Gisbergen's victory at Watkins Glen. He highlighted the criticism towards the driver's dominance on only one type of track.

The Trackhouse Racing driver made his debut in the Chicago street race in 2023 and has since won five Cup Series races. He currently sits in 25th place in the standings with 441 points, which has caused some critics to question his place in the playoffs.

While talking on his Happy Hour podcast, Harvick spoke about how winning at the top is not easy, despite the drivers who make it look routine. He also mentioned how hate towards drivers like Shane van Gisbergen amid their successful runs has been a consistent issue.

"It's crazy that it's hated instead of celebrated. Why don't we celebrate greatness? And this has been a constant conversation throughout the years. When somebody dominates, why don't we celebrate it? Why do we knock them down?" Kevin Harvick questioned (09:50 onwards).

Kevin Harvick also spoke about how the sport has lost its habit of creating heroes, as the fans have gone from praising someone to finding ways to belittle them.