Van Gisbergen’s Oval Breakthrough Changes Everything
Shane van Gisbergen’s first full NASCAR Cup season in 2025 was a tale of extremes — instant brilliance on road courses and a demanding education on ovals. While his background made him nearly unstoppable on circuits that turned both left and right, the traditional oval tracks exposed just how steep the learning curve can be for even elite talent.
The Trackhouse Racing rookie turned his road-course advantage into five wins and secured Rookie of the Year honors, but he was candid about his struggles elsewhere. On ovals, van Gisbergen often found himself fighting the car instead of racing it. He admitted that setup limits and unfamiliar feedback made it difficult to know what changes to request, leaving him off the pace and mired deep in the standings for much of the season.
Progress came gradually, not through one breakthrough but through repetition and understanding. As the year went on, van Gisbergen began revisiting tracks that had frustrated him earlier and showed clear improvement. The results followed late in the season, highlighted by his first oval top-10 with a 10th-place finish at Kansas, an 11th at Talladega, and a solid run at Martinsville. Those performances reflected growing confidence and better communication with his team rather than a sudden technical fix.
Van Gisbergen also pointed to the broader challenge of jumping between NASCAR series. After racing in Xfinity the year before, moving to a full Cup schedule meant shorter practices, faster qualifying turnarounds and tougher competition — especially when starting mid-pack. That environment, he explained, makes learning ovals far more difficult than it appears from the outside.
Looking ahead to 2026, van Gisbergen is focused on turning late-season progress into consistent oval performance. His rookie year served as both a showcase of his road-course talent and a reminder that Cup success demands mastery of every discipline. For Trackhouse Racing, it was a season of high highs, hard lessons, and clear signs that their rookie is determined to close the remaining gap — a challenge future newcomers like Connor Zilisch will soon face as well.
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