Van Gisbergen looks to “prove people wrong” in NASCAR Playoffs

Those who only pay attention to NASCAR didn’t know who Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) was when he appeared at the Chicago Street Course in 2023. The garage heard whispers from those who knew of the man, claiming he would be a force to be reckoned with, but many didn’t pay any attention.

Well, they’re paying attention now. Van Gisbergen is tied with Denny Hamlin for the most wins of any driver this year at four, claiming each of these wins on a road or street course. He has also clinched Rookie of the Year honors as the only rookie to make the Playoffs. Additionally, those four victories give him a 16-point cushion over the drop zone for the start of the Round of 16.

“It’s a privilege I guess to be here and we’ve had an amazing year and run, so hopefully keep going,” said van Gisbergen during Playoff Media Day on Wednesday.

Getting better on ovals and the task in front of SVG

After three races, the four drivers with the least amount of points will be eliminated from the title fight. And unfortunately for SVG, there are no road courses in the opening round. He faces three ovals: The grueling Southern 500 at Darlington, Gateway which he has never seen before, and Bristol where he has previously struggled.

But the three-time Bathurst 1000 winner has never shied away from a challenge, and he’s a quick learner. SVG has shown noticeable improvement on ovals as the year has progressed. And the key to his continued improvement is as simple as getting more laps behind the wheel.

“Just time,” said SVG about his oval progression. “I don’t know anything different. It’s taken me a long time to learn the ovals, particularly because I haven’t done them before. So finally starting to go to tracks for the second time and yeah, hopefully go better.”

The good news is that he is a big fan of Darlington, noting how ‘very precise’ you have to be. “You’ve got to be millimetre perfect every lap, comfortable to run against the wall and the proximity to the wall, and then the repetition and consistency. I think that seems to suit me, and the way the cars slide around, I really enjoy that place.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Bristol  ‘was very, very difficult’ for him earlier this year, and Gateway is a complete unknown.

Addressing those who think he will be quickly eliminated

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Because of this, and the caliber of drivers below him in the standings, there are a lot of people believing he will be a first-round exit. SVG is just fine with people thinking that as he prepares for the battle ahead.

“It doesn’t worry us,” said SVG. “It puts no pressure on us, right? If we have a good week this week, it makes the next few harder. But if we have a tough week, it puts us in a hole and it’s going to be hard to get out of it. Hopefully it will be nice to prove people wrong, too.”

He went on to say that “it’s always fun to have your back against the wall, and have to push hard. I don’t use it for motivation or anything, but it’s cool being the underdog.”

Last year, Chase Briscoe was the final driver to advance beyond the Round of 16, scoring a total of 80 points. That average over three races equates to about a tenth place finish every week without stage points. SVG has yet to score a top ten finish on ovals this year, but with his bonus points, a trio of top 15s would likely suffice. The New Zealander enters the postseason following a 14th-place finish at Richmond and a 16th-place finish at Daytona.