SVG Stuns with Oval Breakthrough — Credits Kyle Larson’s Racing Genius
The mutual respect between Kyle Larson and Shane Van Gisbergen has grown into one of NASCAR’s most interesting storylines. Van Gisbergen, whose 2025 season was defined by road-course dominance, has publicly praised Larson’s oval craft after watching the Cup Series champion switch lines and manage traffic with remarkable precision. “Like you watch someone like Larson, Kyle Larson, he’s amazing at switching lines on corner entry to get clean air,” SVG said on the Dinner with Racers podcast, adding that he’s inspired to adapt some of those techniques as he works to improve on ovals.
Larson’s 2025 Cup season underlined why his oval racing remains elite. The Hendrick Motorsports driver combined patience, adaptability and smart pit strategy to stay competitive across short and intermediate ovals, picking up three Cup wins and numerous top-five and top-10 finishes en route to the championship. Those traits — finding different lines, managing understeer, and protecting track position — are precisely what SVG singled out as examples he wants to study this offseason as he looks to bridge the gap on oval circuits.
SVG’s rookie Cup campaign showed clear progression on ovals as the year went on. Early struggles produced several finishes outside the top 20, but he began to improve steadily, cracking the top 20 at tracks such as Pocono and Darlington. A key milestone came in September at Kansas Speedway, where Van Gisbergen recorded his first oval top-10 in the Cup Series with a 10th-place finish. He also matched earlier bests with 14th-place results at Charlotte and Richmond, signaling momentum heading into 2026 as he adapts his road-course prowess to ovals.
Both drivers are also looking beyond NASCAR in their own ways. Larson has expressed interest in returning to Daytona International Speedway for the Rolex 24 Hours; he said he’d do it again after previously racing the event three times and winning overall in 2015 with Chip Ganassi Racing alongside Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Jamie McMurray. No return has been confirmed, but the 2026 IMSA Rolex 24 is scheduled for January 24-25 and remains a possible date on his radar. For SVG, studying Larson’s oval approach — and translating it to a Cup schedule that still rewards versatility — looks set to be a central focus as he aims to convert road-course speed into more consistent oval results.
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