Shane Van Gisbergen, piloting the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, is focusing on steady preparation and growth as he gears up for the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR season ahead. Reflecting on his offseason training, Van Gisbergen emphasized his efforts to analyze past performances and evolve his approach, aiming to improve with each race.
“Not much, just as much preparation as I can. So going through all our notes from last year and then setup stuff and just trying to keep evolving really. I think we did evolve a lot in the second half of the year. So yeah, just trying to be as prepared as we can each week.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Ongoing Progress on Ovals and Learning Curve
When asked about his optimism for oval tracks compared to last year, Van Gisbergen described his progression as continuous and emphasized that he views his development as a work in progress. He remains focused on learning each weekend and improving his racing skills.
“I don’t know. I don’t really think like that. I feel like it’s just a work in progress. I feel like I’m just getting better and better. So hopefully it keeps getting better. I still feel like I learn a lot every weekend. When that stops, that’s when it gets harder, I guess.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Van Gisbergen also noted that while simulators offer some advantage, real gains come from track time. The actual racetrack experience remains key to fine-tuning his oval racing abilities.
“It’s all on the racetrack. You can do some sim stuff, but I don’t feel it really helps me.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Highlighting Best Performances and Challenges in NASCAR
Discussing his best oval finish at Kansas later in the previous season, Van Gisbergen attributed his improved results to consistent progress and better performance as the year went on. Despite faster speeds at times, missteps or incidents sometimes prevented top finishes. By year’s end, he was breaking into the top 10 more regularly, marking a positive trend.
“I guess it was later in the year. We were just getting better and better. I think we had some races where we had better speed than that, but I didn’t get it right or we got crashed out or something. I felt like we were getting toward the top-10 more often than not at the end, which was really cool.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Van Gisbergen reflected on NASCAR’s evolving schedule changes, including the removal of some road course races and the ‘win-and-you’re-in’ playoff rule. Although these adjustments require more effort, he remains focused on improving his oval racing skills.
“Yeah, but I didn’t join this series to do road courses, but obviously it’s a bonus. I’d love more road courses and not less, but that is what it is. Thankfully, we’re getting better at the ovals so that’s good.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Mixed Feelings on Superspeedway Racing and the Points System
Van Gisbergen shared his thoughts on racing at iconic tracks such as Daytona and Talladega. While he finds fuel-saving races less exciting due to slower pace, he enjoys the intense, high-speed battles and strategic pushing when the racing is fierce.
“Yes and no. When it’s fuel saving, it’s pretty boring. But when it’s flat-out racing and you’re jockeying for position and pushing a lot, it’s pretty full-on. When it’s actual racing it’s really cool.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Regarding the points championship format, Van Gisbergen praised it for rewarding consistent front-runners and maintaining excitement toward the season’s end, though he noted it slightly diminishes the desperation for wins among some drivers.
“I think it’s good. I think if you’re a front-running guy consistently, I think it’s really good and more of a pure racing championship. Then I think it still keeps the balance of excitement or closing everyone up for those last 10 races. So yeah, I think it’s pretty cool. I feel like you lose the desperation a bit of people winning races to try and turn their season around. But if I was a top guy every week, I’d be all for this.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Collaborating with Teammate Conor Zillich
Van Gisbergen expressed enthusiasm about working alongside Conor Zillich, his teammate and fellow racer. He described Zillich as a focused and talented young driver who has stayed active during the offseason and is expected to adapt quickly.
“I got to know him the last couple of years. He’s a brilliant young guy. He’s been pretty focused and done a lot of racing over the offseason as well. It’s gonna be interesting to see how he goes and how he fits in after a few rounds. Looking forward to working together. Hopefully we like similar setups and we can make the cars better all together.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Adjusting Driving Style and Car Setups with Experience
Reflecting on his transition to the Cup Series, Van Gisbergen highlighted how the experience allowed him to better understand his preferences and communicate his unique driving style to his team. Though NASCAR cars handle differently from what he’s accustomed to, ongoing adjustments have improved team alignment with his approach.
“You just learn what you want and need from a car. My driving style was very different to most, I guess. The way I make the car work or want it to work is very different to others. We noticed a lot of trends which took a while to get everyone to adjust to. I adjusted a bit but now we’re sort of coming my way a bit, which has kind of helped me. It’s interesting. The cars are set up so different to what I’m used to, and I’m still trying to understand what I need or want from the car.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Prioritizing Points Accumulation for Playoff Success
A key focus for Van Gisbergen this season is accumulating as many points as possible to secure his spot in the playoffs, known as The Chase. He recognizes that consistent scoring outweighs risky moves early in the season.
“Just score as many points as possible. That’s the way we’re going to get into The Chase. So it’s my mindset straight away … just accumulate as many points as we can every week. That’s the focus now.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Differences in Approach to Road Course and Oval Racing
Van Gisbergen discussed how his focus and preparation vary between road courses and oval tracks. While road courses allow him to be deeply involved in car setup, ovals require learning race flow, drafting tactics, and car placement during pack racing.
“It’s just different here like with the qualifying and stuff. You don’t really have an influence on it. You just drive as fast as you can, close to the line as you can. But the preparation is very different. On road courses I’m more involved in setup with what I want. On the ovals I’m just kind of learning and trying to build a notebook. In these races it’s about trying to understand the flow of the race, how to work with people. It’s a completely different style of racing. That’s for sure.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Building Trust and Mastering Drafting
When it comes to drafting, a crucial skill on superspeedways, Van Gisbergen admits he is still adapting to the complexities of trust and vehicle positioning within the tightly packed racing environment.
“No, I’m still learning and trying to make friends, I guess. People leave you for no reason, or you do something wrong and lose the trust of people. It takes a while to understand how to put your car in the right place.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Adapting Strategy Under the Chase Point System
The current playoff format influences Van Gisbergen’s racing approach, encouraging a focus on steady points gains rather than excessive risk-taking, especially as he aims to secure a playoff berth by scoring consistently each weekend.
“Yeah, like I said earlier, that’s our goal – to just accumulate points now. You have to try and achieve as many points as you can every weekend. It probably changes the way you take risks if you’re probably going to be like us, a guy trying to point our way in. I probably will approach it a bit different, I think.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Looking Ahead to the Daytona 500 Challenge
As Shane Van Gisbergen prepares to compete in the upcoming Daytona 500, his focused preparation, gradual progress on oval tracks, and strategic mindset reflect his determination to make a breakthrough in one of NASCAR’s most prestigious races. His in-depth understanding of his driving style and collaboration with teammates position him well to adapt swiftly in this competitive environment. Continued improvement in drafting and race strategy remains essential, with the points system further shaping his approach toward a successful season.
