“That’s why I’m here”: Road course ace Shane van Gisbergen wants to ‘justify’ his NASCAR seat with Trackhouse Racing after Mexico triumph

Shane Van Gisbergen made headlines after winning the Viva Mexico 250 in Mexico City. After showing his road course prowess in a dominant win, the 36-year-old Trackhouse Racing driver is eager to improve on ovals as well.

SVG secured a berth in the playoffs alongside teammate Ross Chastain after his first win of the season, which came at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. His triumph further underlines that the former Supercars champion is a force on road circuits. But speaking in the post-race press conference, he made everyone aware of his growing focus on ovals.

"That's why I'm here, to win road races, but I'm not here to run last on the ovals either. I need to keep getting better and to justify being a Cup Series driver, I need to be performing on the ovals, too. So, I feel like we're really making strides," said van Gisbergen.

Shane van Gisbergen's Mexico win scripted the biggest margin of victory in a Next-Gen car in the Cup Series with 16.567 seconds. It was also the largest on a NASCAR road course since 1979. His ability to conquer a technical road course traces back to his years in Supercars, where he won three championships.

SVG's performance in the Cup Series also highlights the same expertise. In eight road circuit starts, SVG has two wins, three top‑5s, and six top‑10s, with an average finish of 10.9. However, his numbers diminish on intermediates and superspeedways. SVG has a 25-place average finishing position in ten intermediate starts, and 28 on five superspeedway runs, with no top-ten finishes in either. This reflects a rawness in those disciplines.

Nevertheless, this win in Viva Mexico 250 highlights shows how much the team has grown alongside their superstar recruit, in what was only his 30th Cup start. Shane van Gisbergen's road course expertise has certainly made him a contender in his rookie season and has now booked him a postseason berth.

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Shane Van Gisbergen's improvement on ovals shows potential to become a Cup Series contender

Trackhouse Racing driver Shane Van Gisbergen during the NASCAR Cup Series Mexico City Race. Source: Imagn

Shane Van Gisbergen's road course strength is due to his Supercars background. It was visible earlier this year at COTA, where he finished his season-best (before Mexico) sixth place. Moreover, his only other NASCAR Cup Series win came in the 2023 Chicago Street Course race, also a road circuit. This has certainly made his rookie season challenging, with most races in the Cup calendar on intermediates or speedways.

He finished outside the top 20 in 12 of his first 16 finishes. But there were glimmers of progress in recent weeks. Speaking to the press, he was quick to attribute this improvement to Trackhouse Racing and his No. 88 team (via Cup Scene).

"My average oval running position's gone from 85th to 10th to 20th or 10th or 15th on a good day. We're really making a lot of progress and I've sort of just not been forcing it. I've been methodical, gotten better every week, and it's been really fun working with my 88 crew the last all year, but the last couple of months," Gisbergen said.

Those gains were clear in recent races. SVG has now finished inside the top 20 in five of his last six races. He finished 18th at Michigan, a strong result for him on a 2-mile oval, and at Charlotte, his 14th-place finish after starting 30th. Such adaptability on ovals this season reflects a driver growing more comfortable in an entirely new discipline.

The 2025 season has four more road course events in the regular season, a rich opportunity for SVG to maximize points and solidify his postseason berth. But if he can match those results on ovals, Shane Van Gisbergen can evolve into a true championship prospect in the years to come.