Bubba Wallace NASCAR qualifying took an unexpected turn at New Hampshire Motor Speedway when Shane van Gisbergen, known as SVG, out-qualified Wallace in a surprising outcome on the oval track. Both drivers had spent the summer racing Legends cars together in the Summer Shootout Series, often joined by IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin, with Wallace joking that he would retire if SVG ever bested him in a NASCAR Cup qualifying session on an oval.
At the New Hampshire event, van Gisbergen secured the tenth position on the grid, while Wallace started 14th, marking one of van Gisbergen’s best NASCAR Cup qualifying results on an oval. Prior to this, van Gisbergen’s top oval qualifying was 11th place at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, excluding a pole position in a non-points race at North Wilkesboro.
Friendly Bet Turns Into a Lighthearted Retirement Joke
The rivalry between Wallace and van Gisbergen included a bet where the slowest driver each week would buy lunch or dinner. After the qualifying session, Wallace reached out to van Gisbergen, who responded on social media with, “Haven’t seen your retirement post.” In turn, Wallace posted:
Old bloke out-qualified me, now I gotta retire.
This exchange highlighted the camaraderie between the two drivers as van Gisbergen continues to adapt to oval racing despite being more experienced on road courses.
Current Season Performance and Playoff Context
Shane van Gisbergen earned four wins this season, all coming on road courses, with his best oval finish being 14th at both the Coca-Cola 600 and Richmond Raceway. Meanwhile, the New Hampshire race marked the start of the Round of 12 in the 2025 NASCAR playoff campaign. Bubba Wallace remains just one point above the cutline following the points reset, intensifying the pressure on his performance as he aims to progress further in the playoffs.
This qualifying result at New Hampshire adds an intriguing subplot to the ongoing playoff fight, as Wallace must maintain consistency to avoid elimination. With drivers like Joey Logano and teams like Penske also gaining momentum in recent races, the competitive stakes at Loudon and beyond remain high.
