Shane van Gisbergen, winner of the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico City, has openly praised his teammate Ross Chastain for his exceptional oval racing skills, highlighting Chastain’s influence on his own development within NASCAR. While the Mexico City race took place on a road course, van Gisbergen acknowledged the crucial role Chastain has played in helping him improve his overall NASCAR driving, especially on oval tracks.
Chastain’s Impact on Van Gisbergen’s NASCAR Journey
Though competing on road courses has been van Gisbergen’s strong suit, Chastain’s expertise on ovals has provided valuable guidance as van Gisbergen adapts to the demands of the series. On the Stacking Pennies podcast hosted by Corey LaJoie, van Gisbergen admitted,
“When the cars are average, I take the blame obviously because we know on ovals I’m not quite there yet,”
showing his honesty about the ongoing learning curve.
He compared his performance closely with his teammates in challenging races, stating,
“I was battling Ross for 30th at Homestead, so I know that our cars aren’t that good. So I just try and compare as much as I can to Daniel (Suarez) and Ross and most of those races when we’re in the 20s or the 30s, they weren’t too far ahead which was pretty cool.”
This candid reflection highlights his focus on improving within the team context despite equipment limitations.
Van Gisbergen further emphasized Chastain’s unique ability to excel in difficult situations:
“Ross has this amazing ability to get the restarts, get huge spots and just get a result, a top-five or a top-10 out of a 20-something-place car. He is exceptional. So I’m just trying to get close to my teammates, but certainly our overall car performance has really improved the last month or so.”
Confidence Shows in Mexico City Victory
Leading the Trackhouse Racing squad at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, van Gisbergen dominated the race, winning by more than 16 seconds. Reflecting on the closing stages, he recalled a moment when his team advised him to reduce his pace, but he responded firmly on the radio,
“Guys, I know what I’m doing! Like, give me a break.”
He explained the reasoning behind his approach, acknowledging the dynamics of the sport:
“I guess that’s this dynamic of the sport, that if someone’s leading by so far, they look for any excuse to throw a yellow,”
but van Gisbergen resisted slowing down unnecessarily to maintain concentration and consistency. He detailed his pacing strategy, saying,
“I just needed to stick in this rhythm and I just tried to do 35.8s or 36.0s I think it was, and just try and hit that every lap and challenged myself to be as consistent as possible without taking a risk.”
He also reflected on his need to stay mentally focused during those critical laps:
“I was better when I was focused. As soon as my mind starts wandering, I lose where I’m at. So I try to tell them to stop telling me to back it down.”
Looking Ahead to Oval Mastery
With a strong foothold in road course racing and his first NASCAR Cup victory behind him, van Gisbergen is now concentrating on improving his performances on oval tracks to become a more versatile competitor. His open acknowledgment of his learning journey and respect for Chastain’s skills illustrate a thoughtful and determined approach to mastering the series.
As the NASCAR season progresses, the collaboration between van Gisbergen and Chastain within Trackhouse Racing is likely to continue enhancing their competitiveness, especially as van Gisbergen works toward bridging the gap on ovals and consistently challenging for top positions.
