Shane Van Gisbergen‘s recent surge in oval racing performance has been a pivotal development as the 2025 Cup Series season wrapped up, signaling a new challenge for seasoned drivers across the grid. Known for dominating the road courses—securing five victories on such tracks this year—Van Gisbergen is closing the gap on ovals, hinting at broader competitiveness for 2026.
Adapting to the Demands of Oval Racing
Since his Cup Series debut, Van Gisbergen’s peers and rivals alike have anticipated a steep learning curve for the New Zealander when transitioning to American ovals, a domain far removed from his road course expertise. The latter part of the 2025 season revealed unmistakable improvement in his results on these tracks, raising expectations for the future. In a revealing interview with Speedcafe, Van Gisbergen shared the psychological barriers created by playoff pressure and how his approach shifted once he was out of championship contention. He explained,
“I didn’t do a good enough job, and that’s the pressure of the playoffs. It felt like we were getting good momentum, and then we just struggled a little bit. I didn’t drive well enough, and yeah, as soon as the playoffs ended, the very next week, we tried some different setups, you know, thinking that, ‘Oh, we’re out of the playoffs. We’ll take some risk with some cars.’”
Van Gisbergen, Driver
According to Steven Taranto, who highlighted insights from Van Gisbergen’s Speedcafe interview, the Trackhouse Racing team began experimenting with different car setups after their playoff elimination, a strategic risk that paid dividends. As Van Gisbergen emphasized,
“and we really found something that we liked”
Van Gisbergen, Driver
He reflected on the timing and learning process, stating,
“I wish we had tried it a bit earlier, but it’s part of learning.”
Van Gisbergen, Driver
The evolution in his driving was largely due to identifying weaknesses—particularly with entry into front-turns where he lagged behind Trackhouse Racing teammates—then collaborating with his crew to build customized setups that matched his driving requirements. This careful adjustment rapidly translated to on-track results.
Performance Metrics From Key Oval Races
Van Gisbergen’s oval trajectory was marked by solid showings during the final six races of the regular season. At New Hampshire, he qualified inside the top ten and maintained competitive pace during the opening stage. This was followed by a tenth-place finish on the challenging Kansas Speedway and a thirteenth-place qualifying spot in Las Vegas.
His competitive consistency continued with finishes of eleventh at Talladega, fourteenth at Martinsville, and twenty-fourth at Phoenix, marking a stretch of significant improvement. Assessing these results, Van Gisbergen acknowledged the immediate feedback from the revised setups and the momentum they carried:
“Straight away, I found a lot in the car, and that set a direction for the rest of the year. And yeah, I wish we had tried it a bit earlier, but it’s part of learning.”
Van Gisbergen, Driver
This period was a testament to his determination in bridging the gap with more experienced oval racing competitors and learning from both his teammates and other series regulars.
Implications for the Cup Series and 2026 Outlook
Even as Van Gisbergen admits there’s room for further growth, his evident late-season momentum has caught the attention of the entire Cup Series paddock. His adaptability and willingness to experiment after playoff elimination turned into a visible advantage, serving as a cautionary signal for established drivers heading into 2026.
With the combination of Shane Van Gisbergen’s oval progress and his established prowess on road courses, the dynamics for upcoming Cup Series seasons look set for a dramatic shake-up. As he gears up to maintain and build on this momentum, both teammates at Trackhouse Racing and competitors throughout the series acknowledge that the field may now face an even more formidable challenger.
Interesting tidbit from this Shane van Gisbergen interview with Speedcafe: SVG says his team started trying different setups after being eliminated from the playoffs, "and we really found something that we liked"
"I wish we had tried it a bit earlier, but it's part of learning." pic.twitter.com/dKTEKYu2qh
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) December 30, 2025
