Shane van Gisbergen Eyes NASCAR Championship Chase as Oval Focus Intensifies

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Shane van Gisbergen, the celebrated Supercars champion from New Zealand, has made it clear that his move to NASCAR was driven by a desire to conquer the discipline’s famed oval tracks, not merely to continue his success on road courses. With the recent adjustments to NASCAR’s playoff format, van Gisbergen is embracing the challenge, aiming to prove his mettle beyond his impressive road-racing prowess.

Van Gisbergen, affectionately known as "SVG," found significant success in his full-time rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series last year, securing five victories. However, all of these wins came on road and street circuits. Without the current playoff system, his overall points standing would have placed him outside the top 20. This reality underscores the significance of NASCAR’s reversion to the "Chase for the Championship" format, a system that now requires drivers to be consistently competitive across the entire season to earn a playoff berth.

"I didn’t come to America to keep racing on road courses; I could have remained in Supercars to do that," van Gisbergen stated during Daytona 500 Media Day. This sentiment highlights his ambition to broaden his skill set and achieve success on NASCAR’s diverse range of tracks, including the high-speed ovals that define much of the series’ identity.

The reduction in road courses on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, with the removal of the Mexico City road course and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, does not deter van Gisbergen. "Obviously, it’s a bonus, and yeah, I would love more road courses than less, but it is what it is," he commented. "Thankfully, we are getting better on the ovals, so that’s good."

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His rookie season did see him begin to acclimate to oval racing, and by the end of the year, he had climbed to 12th in the final playoff standings. This progression, despite the learning curve, suggests a tangible development in his oval-racing capabilities.

"Not the real racer in me," van Gisbergen said, referring to a potential lack of excitement in a purely points-based championship. "I think we can make it in on merit as well if we get everything right. I think it loses some excitement in some ways, but as a racing championship, I think this is a better way to do it, yeah."

The 2025 season marks only SVG’s second year primarily competing on ovals, having transitioned from Supercars through the NASCAR Xfinity Series before moving to the Cup Series. This transition demanded adaptation to two significantly different racing machines and track styles.

Despite the challenges, van Gisbergen has shown flashes of speed and skill on the ovals. His performance at Richmond, where he famously “ripped the fence,” and his competitiveness at tracks like Kansas and New Hampshire in the latter part of the season, indicate a growing understanding of oval racing dynamics. These moments suggest that the three-time Supercars champion is beginning to find his rhythm in NASCAR’s unique discipline.

"It’s still an evolving thing, you know, so I don’t feel like as much of a deer in headlights anymore, which is cool," van Gisbergen reflected. "I sort of feel like I fit in more and can go with the rhythm of the race more over the weekends."

He readily admits the steep learning curve associated with oval racing. "But I’m still learning a lot. I didn’t know where to start with the driving, the set-ups, the cars and the racing dynamic like how the surface changes. There are so many different things. It’s a completely different discipline to any other driving."

Van Gisbergen’s self-assessment acknowledges the nuances of oval racing, from car setup to race strategy. He specifically identified short tracks as areas requiring further improvement. "No, I don’t think so," he responded when asked if he felt comfortable on short tracks. "I still struggle on them, like Bristol for example and Phoenix, they’ve been probably my toughest tracks. So those are the ones I’m focused on more to try to get better at."

Ultimately, van Gisbergen’s approach is one of continuous improvement rather than setting rigid goals. "I’ve never really been a goal person," he concluded. "Making the playoffs would be nice, but I just need to keep getting better and keep learning, I guess."

His journey in NASCAR is one of adaptation and dedication, aiming to leverage his immense natural talent and championship pedigree to master the intricacies of oval racing and contend for the ultimate prize – the NASCAR Cup Series championship. The upcoming season will be a crucial indicator of his progress as he aims to become a true all-around threat in American stock car racing.