NASCAR Cup Series rookie Shane van Gisbergen saw his 2025 playoff aspirations end on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. Driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, the New Zealand driver needed a strong performance to remain in contention but instead faced two spins and lost momentum, finishing 19 points short of advancing.
Van Gisbergen did not hide his frustration after the race, acknowledging his struggles and taking responsibility for the result. His reaction reflected a rare vulnerability from a driver usually known for his composed confidence.
Adapting from Road Courses to Oval Track Challenges
Shane van Gisbergen’s rookie season has been remarkable, transitioning rapidly from the Supercars Championship in Australia to the NASCAR Cup Series. He secured four victories this season at road and street courses, including the Chicago Street Course, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, and Watkins Glen International. These impressive wins earned him a playoff berth.
Despite success on road courses, van Gisbergen found oval tracks much more difficult. Entering Bristol, he needed to overcome a 15-point deficit but instead left the race disappointed by his performance on the short track.
He openly discussed the difficulty of understanding the track’s grip levels, tire wear, and tight turns during the race.
Proud. It’s a privilege to be here but also pissed at myself. The last few weeks I just haven’t been good enough. I’ve been really doing well, getting better at ovals and I just haven’t performed the last couple weeks.
—Shane van Gisbergen, NASCAR driver
Didn’t understand the track early enough there and what the tires were doing and how to save them. I blame myself at the moment, but thanks to the Trackhouse team we’ve had an awesome year and it’s still not over yet, but I need to be better myself and it’s just going to come with time.
—Shane van Gisbergen, NASCAR driver
I didn’t do a good enough job,
he said.
The team gave me a great car, but I couldn’t get it done on the ovals. That’s on me.
—Shane van Gisbergen, NASCAR driver
This was not his first challenging oval race, as earlier playoff rounds included 32nd place at Darlington Raceway and 38th at the spring Bristol race. Nevertheless, van Gisbergen’s aggressive driving style and rapid progress have made him one of the season’s breakout talents.
Looking Forward Despite Playoff Setbacks
Following his Bristol exit, Shane van Gisbergen remains determined to make the most of the remainder of his debut season. He is now preparing for the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in October, a road course where he has a chance to achieve a fifth Cup Series victory.
In addition to focusing on his own upcoming races, van Gisbergen is dedicating effort to assist his teammate Ross Chastain, who continues to compete in the playoffs.
Yeah, I’ll do everything I can prep-wise, help him study, and now the priority for our team is to get the 1 through to the next round and to the finals,
SVG said. I’m happy to help him. —Shane van Gisbergen, NASCAR driver
Although the Bristol loss was a disappointment, van Gisbergen’s debut season has left a lasting impression, and he intends to build on the experience to come back stronger in future events.
