WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Shane van Gisbergen secured his fourth victory of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season at Watkins Glen International, bringing his career total in the Cup Series to five wins. The driver of the No. 88 car has dominated the road course races this season, winning all four so far, and now shares the most wins in the season alongside Denny Hamlin.
With the NASCAR playoffs starting in three weeks, van Gisbergen is accumulating valuable playoff points while also surpassing a significant milestone. The New Zealand driver now ties Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson for the most wins in a single Cup season by a rookie, underscoring his exceptional debut year.
Impact of Team Dynamics and Consistent Performance on Van Gisbergen’s Success
Van Gisbergen attributes much of his rookie success to the strong chemistry and support within Trackhouse Racing. Effective preparation and consistent improvements have been key, especially on road courses. After his win at Watkins Glen, van Gisbergen expressed pride in his team‘s efforts and the shared joy of their achievements.
“It means everything,” van Gisbergen said post-race.
“The prep that we go through — not just for these road courses, but we do it every week. A lot of times over the last few weeks, I’ve felt like we’ve gotten a lot better. It’s just been cool working with a great bunch of people. To share four wins with everyone and see how much it meant to everyone — when they’re high-fiving during the burnout, you can see how into it they are. It’s so cool.”
—Shane van Gisbergen, NASCAR Cup Series driver
Historically, the rookie wins record was set by Tony Stewart in 1999 and later matched by Jimmie Johnson in 2002. Stewart’s record included wins at Richmond Raceway, Phoenix Raceway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway, while Johnson’s wins came at Auto Club Speedway and Dover Motor Speedway.
In contrast, van Gisbergen’s four consecutive wins have come exclusively on road courses. He began his streak with a win at Autodromos Hermanos Rodriguez, then earned back-to-back victories at the Chicago street course—where he made his Cup debut—and Sonoma Raceway. After his Sonoma triumph, he became the winningest foreign-born driver in Cup history.
Van Gisbergen’s latest win at Watkins Glen was particularly meaningful, as it served as a redemption from a costly mistake on the final lap there in the previous year, solidifying his status as the most successful rookie in series history.
Nearly Sweeping Road Courses and Consistent Top Finishes
The only road course van Gisbergen did not win this season was the Circuit of the Americas, where he still managed a strong sixth-place finish, the only other top-10 outside his victories on road courses. His crew chief, Stephen Doran, highlighted the team’s ambition to sweep the road course schedule this year.
“[Team owner Justin Marks] said, ‘Let’s go win all of them,’”
Doran said. “We’ve come close.” —Stephen Doran, crew chief for Shane van Gisbergen
Justin Marks, the team owner, praised van Gisbergen’s remarkable consistency and skill.
“What he’s doing right now is why he’s in the car,”
Marks said.
“Because we feel like we had an opportunity to do this. But when these wins just keep coming, and the way that they are … it’s an amazing thing to watch. To watch him continue to execute at such a high level is why we’ve made a big commitment to him. … It’s gonna be hard to really understand the gravity of it until we are removed from it for some time. Right now, we’re just enjoying it.”
—Justin Marks, Trackhouse Racing team owner
Van Gisbergen’s win at Watkins Glen coincided with his recent signing of a multiyear contract extension with Trackhouse Racing, announced on August 8, adding stability to his growing career in NASCAR.
“I feel like Trackhouse Racing is my home,”
van Gisbergen said, reflecting on his journey from a one-off entry to a full-time competitor who now holds the rookie win record.
Explaining his commitment to the team, van Gisbergen emphasized the profound life changes he made to pursue his NASCAR career.
That’s why Justin believed in me. He knew I could do this. I changed my life to come and do this. To come and make true of what everyone believed in me, and to execute myself and get everything right? It’s why I go racing.
—Shane van Gisbergen
The rookie acknowledged that the magnitude of his successes often hits him after the races, sometimes humorously reflected in his late-night social media activity. After his Chicago win, he joked,
I’ll try not to tweet at 4 a.m. tonight.
—Shane van Gisbergen
Despite his lightheartedness, van Gisbergen continues to appreciate the significance of his achievements and takes moments to reflect on his rapid rise.
Looking Ahead to Playoffs and Road Course Completion at Charlotte ROVAL
As the NASCAR playoffs approach, van Gisbergen and his team are focused not only on maintaining momentum in the postseason but also on the opportunity to make history by winning a fifth consecutive road course race. The Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, the final road course on the 2025 schedule, presents a unique challenge for the No. 88 team.
Van Gisbergen described the ROVAL as “a funky, odd track,” but a compelling test for his driving skills.
But a pretty cool challenge, and I think it races well. … That’ll be a good one for us if we make it to the second round [of the Cup Series playoffs].
—Shane van Gisbergen
Aside from his road course dominance, van Gisbergen is also working to improve his performance on oval tracks. Crew chief Stephen Doran emphasized the driver’s rapid development on these circuits after some initial outings this season.
“He’s such a quick learner. You look at some of these places like Darlington [Raceway], he was honestly a top-10 car. … Some of these others will be a lot better than the first time around.”
—Stephen Doran
For now, the Trackhouse Racing team and van Gisbergen are savoring yet another milestone for the accomplished three-time Australian V8 Supercars champion, who is now making significant waves as a top contender in NASCAR’s premier series.
