Just two months ago, Shane van Gisbergen was sitting near the bottom of the NASCAR Cup Series standings. He wasn’t a favorite to win any races, and he was essentially flying under the radar. Then, a win in Mexico shot him into the books and gave him a spot in the playoffs. That victory turned some heads, with many fans upset that a driver with such significant scores would get a chance at the postseason. Since then, Gisbergen has shot down all those rumors with more wins under his belt, but not everyone thinks he’s winning actual NASCAR races. They argue that road courses don’t belong in NASCAR, a notion that he is proving to be false.
Gisbergen started the season on a rough note. Before Mexico, he was recording 20 to 30-place finishes, with his best result being sixth at the COPA in Texas. He wasn’t being talked about because he wasn’t doing anything exciting. That’s why it came as such a surprise that, despite typically doing well on street courses, Gisbergen was able to come out in a decisive victory during the Mexico City race. His success in Sonoma is even more special because he led for 97 of the 110 laps.
Gisbergen is arguably one of the best drivers on the track right now, as evidenced by his multiple wins. The only drivers with similar numbers are Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Larson.
Fans can’t argue with the fact that Gisbergen is the best driver on road courses this season. Not only has he won three street course races, but he also led the most laps in two of them. It’s not just because of the car that Trackhouse Racing is giving him. Gisbergen also drives for JR Motorsports and secured a win for the Xfinity Series at the Chicago Street Course. That means he swept the weekend.
This isn’t the only time Gisbergen has proven his worth on street courses. He joins Kyle Busch and Mark Martin as one of three drivers to have four road course wins during their careers. He has also won street course races with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series, at Sonoma, Chicago, and the Pacific Office Automation 147 in Portland.
It’s no wonder that Gisbergen has such success on street courses; he has a background in Endurance Cup and Supercar races. He made his debut in Supercar in 2007 and is still establishing himself. He’s a three-time Supercars Champion, winning titles in 2016, 2021, and 2022. That means he came to NASCAR with some major international titles under his belt. For people outside of the United States, it’s almost like he’s here to play with stock cars, not race them. He might not be number one overall, but he’s showing his true pedigree on the track, and it’s enough to scare some of the drivers around him.
Not all NASCAR greats agree with the number of road courses used during the regular season, or even with some of Gisbergen’s success. The King himself, Richard Petty, has expressed his opinion on road courses on several occasions. He’s said that the high-contact racing that stock cars see on those courses isn’t conducive to how drivers are meant to compete. After Mexico, he also discussed how Gisbergen’s win shouldn’t automatically guarantee him a spot in the playoffs, especially since he was sitting in 30th place at the time.
Petty has also spoken on Gisbergen’s racing since his win in Sonoma. During Petty’s most recent episode of “Petty Race Recap”, he talked about Gisbergen’s lifetime of racing success and how it’s now translating to NASCAR. Petty believes that the confidence that he’s gaining from winning on road courses will eventually lead to a bigger push for a win on oval tracks.
Gisbergen started the season silently and is now a leader to anyone who watches NASCAR every weekend. The only issue moving forward is if he can translate his success to the oval. Gisbergen’s a fantastic driver, but to achieve real success in NASCAR, he needs to secure some wins on other tracks. Right now, he’s looking like the underdog that everyone wants to cheer for.
On the topic of road courses, while it is unusual to see stock cars off an oval track, it does demonstrate a different kind of competency for drivers. It’s also an essential part of attracting top drivers from other motorsports to NASCAR. One thing that Petty has said that is easy to agree with is that these races need to be more spread out. Most of the road course races take place in the middle of the season. Instead, they should be more spread out, and new playoff competition like Gisbergen won’t sneak up on everyone.
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