Shane van Gisbergen Shatters Oval Fears: From 35th-Place Struggles to Playoff Phenom – Trackhouse’s Kiwi Conqueror Proves Everyone Wrong!
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Shane van Gisbergen just did exactly what the NASCAR garage dreaded: he cracked the oval code. The three-time Supercars champion – who stormed into the Cup Series in 2025 as Trackhouse Racing’s road-course assassin – transformed from a rookie averaging 26th in his first 14 ovals to a playoff-making, Rookie of the Year-winning, 12th-in-points threat who now terrifies veterans on every layout. “I’m not here to run last on an oval,” SVG vowed after his Mexico City road win in June. Six months later, that promise is a prophecy: five victories (all road courses), three poles, three stage wins, 312 laps led, and a 23.0 average finish across his final 16 ovals – a three-spot leap from his early-season nightmare. As Trackhouse locks in crew chief Steven Doran and the entire No. 97 team for 2026, the Kiwi’s exponential learning curve has Ross Chastain predicting oval wins and fans on Reddit chanting: “SVG is coming for EVERYTHING.”
The fear was real. When SVG debuted full-time in 2025, the math was brutal: 30 ovals, 6 road courses. Road mastery? Guaranteed – he tied Jeff Gordon’s record with back-to-back wins at COTA and Sonoma, then swept five of six twisty events. Ovals? Kryptonite. His first six produced finishes outside the top 35 five times, anchoring Trackhouse’s No. 97 to 35th-36th in owner points. “Deer in headlights,” SVG admitted on his Trackhouse Talk podcast. “Cars felt alien, walls came at 190 mph, and everyone’s a shark.” Doran, in just his second year atop the pit box, mirrored the rookie jitters. Yet frustration never fractured them. “We built together,” SVG said. “No blame – just laps, data, and questions.”
The pivot began in July. A 22nd-place average over seven races signaled traction. Then came September 28 at Kansas – SVG’s 10th-place breakthrough, his first top-10 on a true oval after 30 tries. “Kryptonite cracked,” he grinned post-race, high-fiving Doran. Momentum snowballed: 11th at Talladega, 14th at Martinsville (a 20-spot jump from his spring visit), and consistent top-20s on intermediates he once loathed. At Las Vegas, he explained the madness to a viral fan clip: “Send it in at 310 km/h, miss the apex on purpose, pray the air pocket saves you from the wall – then hear the exhaust echo as it holds you off.” Ripping the fence, NASCAR-style. SVG mastered it.
Bubba Wallace’s prophetic text became legend. After SVG outqualified him 10th to 14th at New Hampshire, Wallace posted their exchange: “Old bloke out-qualified me. Now I gotta retire.” Chastain, watching from the sister No. 1 Chevy, saw the future: “There’s a chance he wins an oval. Steven’s group is finding stride.” SVG’s season stats silenced doubters: 93% lap completion, playoff berth, 12th in points at age 36 – the oldest Rookie of the Year since 2011.
The mental leap was as massive as the on-track one. “I wasn’t sure I’d love 36 straight weekends,” SVG confessed at Phoenix. “Supercars was variety – NASCAR’s a marathon. But I’m hooked. Intermediates? High speed, multiple grooves – coolest racing I’ve done.” Doran’s continuity for 2026 is rocket fuel. “Same guys, same base – we start miles ahead,” SVG said. Trackhouse boss Justin Marks beamed: “Five wins were the goal. Oval competitiveness? Bonus that scares the field.”
Reddit’s r/NASCAR is electric. One user: “SVG learns exponentially – 1-2 oval wins in ‘26, book it.” Another: “Rugby balls over the grandstands? That’s his oval burnout celebration – it’s happening.” The numbers back the hype: SVG’s last-16 oval average (23.0) beats veterans like Ryan Blaney (22.8) over the same stretch. His Kansas-to-Phoenix surge mirrors Daniel Ricciardo’s 2014 Red Bull adaptation – but faster.
As Silly Season swirls, SVG’s transformation rewrites Trackhouse’s ceiling. From road-course rental to 36-race menace, the Kiwi didn’t just survive NASCAR’s oval gauntlet – he’s poised to conquer it. Chastain’s right: rugby balls will fly. The garage’s worst fear? Realized. SVG isn’t coming for six races. He’s coming for all 36.
