Shane van Gisbergen oval racing progress has become increasingly evident throughout 2025 as he sharpened his skills not only by competing in NASCAR events but also gaining experience in Legend cars to accelerate his learning curve. Driving for Joe Ryan Racecars, van Gisbergen earned his first pavement oval victory in July when he won at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Cook Out Summer Shootout Series.
This momentum carried forward into the NASCAR Cup Series, where he qualified 11th at Indianapolis, secured the pole position at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and started 10th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His breakthrough moment came at Kansas Speedway, where he overcame a challenging starting position deep in the field to claim his first career top-10 finish on an oval track.
Challenges and Early Penalties at Kansas Speedway
The race at Kansas began poorly for the Trackhouse Racing driver. Van Gisbergen’s No. 88 Red Bull team faced an early setback with a stop-and-go penalty due to inspection infractions, compounded by the suspension of crew chief Stephen Doran. These issues set van Gisbergen back, forcing him a lap down early in the race and starting him in a difficult position.
Despite these obstacles, van Gisbergen remained persistent. He stayed a lap down through the opening stage but benefited from a late caution caused by a crash on lap 90, which awarded him the free pass to rejoin the lead lap. Restarting in 35th place, he managed to climb back to 19th by the end of stage two, showing resilience in a tough situation.
Advancing Through the Field Despite Contact and Setbacks
As the race progressed, van Gisbergen steadily improved, moving into the top 15 and eventually breaking into the top 10 in the later laps. He experienced some on-track contact involving William Byron and Alex Bowman, which raised concerns about his car’s condition. However, van Gisbergen dismissed worries about the damage and continued pushing forward.
With fewer than ten laps remaining, a caution brought the field back together, and van Gisbergen restarted in ninth position. Ultimately, he crossed the finish line in 10th place, narrowly holding off teammate Ross Chastain, marking the best oval finish of his Cup Series career to date.
Van Gisbergen’s Reflections on His Oval Learning Process
After the race, van Gisbergen openly addressed the challenges of adapting to oval racing.
“I think it’s a process. This shit’s pretty difficult, and I just uh it’s taken me time to get better and better, and yeah, the guys are doing a great job with the car, and um yeah, it was it was a tough one. We put ourselves two laps down with a penalty and had to come back, and yeah, it was a pretty awesome day,”
he said.
He also acknowledged growing confidence gained through experience:
“Well, we had speed. I still had a lot to learn, and I was trying to place my car in the right spots, and yeah, once we got on equal tires and equal lap to people, I was able to pick people off and move around, and I never had so much confidence to move around. So, it’s just a process of learning and yeah, I’m getting better.”
Building Momentum Despite a Steep Learning Curve
Reflecting on two full years of competition in the Cup Series, van Gisbergen accepted that mastering ovals requires extensive time behind the wheel. Learning vehicle behavior on banked circuits, managing speed, aerodynamics, and race dynamics from the ground up has made tracks like Kansas particularly challenging. Still, he remains engaged and motivated by the challenge.
Recent performances suggest van Gisbergen and the No. 88 team are gaining traction. Finishing 14th at Richmond hinted at growth, while a top-five result at New Hampshire offered further promise before unfortunate circumstances cut his playoff run short in the Round of 16.
The Road Ahead for Van Gisbergen’s Oval Ambitions
Despite setbacks, van Gisbergen has set a clear objective: use the remainder of 2025 to transform his oval racing experience into a competitive advantage. Should his steady improvement continue, NASCAR could see a significantly stronger version of van Gisbergen in oval races heading into the 2026 season, making him a notable contender on these challenging tracks.
P10 at Kansas Speedway in our @redbullmotors #88! 😀 Was difficult starting a lap down, without our crew chief and having that penalty, but Chais our interim crew chief did a great job! We had really good speed in the race, so I’m stoked to get a top 10, thanks @TeamTrackhouse! pic.twitter.com/wFvqZhE5jp
— Shane van Gisbergen (@shanevg97) September 29, 2025
Shane van Gisbergen on first oval Top 10:
"It's just a process of learning; I'm getting better"
Presenting partner: @MyPlaceHotels pic.twitter.com/yi7l1cbWOl
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) September 28, 2025
