Well rounded Shane Van Gisbergen arrives to Roval as favorite

With each passing week, Shane Van Gisbergen is becoming more of a well-rounded product and now comes the Charlotte Motor Speedway where he is once again the favorite to win a Cup Series road course race.

And despite his first round elimination from the playoffs, ‘SVG’ continues to show rapid improvement on ovals with his first career top-10 and upper-level passing statistics at Kansas, even in a race spent mostly off the lead lap.

“I kind of look at the season separately, like the road courses and the ovals, because it definitely tells two stories,” said Van Gisbergen. “But yeah, I certainly felt like I was the most confident I’ve been to move around.

“Normally, I just get stuck to one line, and I felt like I could run the bottom or the top or the middle and just search for air. It’s taken me a while to learn how to do that; learn to read where the other drivers are going to go in the corners and how to search for it. It’s still pretty new to me, really, when I’m doing those races. So yeah, I’m just evolving, I guess, but I still know I have a long way to go.”

But really, at least in the current championship format, a driver that can win three-plus road course races and then start to challenge for top-10s on ovals is a very dangerous weapon. Really, it’s a dangerous weapon regardless of the format.

“I like to think I’m getting better, yeah,” said Van Gisbergen. “Certainly, I’m learning a lot more working with the same team. Last year, the car would be prepared at Trackhouse (and) then given to Kaulig Racing to run.

“I feel like this year, I’ve been able to have some influence and guidance on the setup. We’ve gone a bit of a different way this year. It’s something I thought would be better and it has worked. It’s been cool to just grow and develop the car. Last year, we just ran a basic setup and I just drove it every couple of months. Whereas this year, being in the car all the time, I feel like I’ve learned what the car needs and been able to make the car better and hopefully adapt my style to it, as well.

“I think I’ve gotten better and the car’s gotten better and the results have shown that.”

Working closely with teammate Chastain

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

And a lot of that development has been owed to Ross Chastain, a gesture that gets extended to Ross Chastain on road courses as he fights to advance into the Round of 8 this weekend and beyond.

“We normally work together pretty close on the road courses anyway,” Van Gisbergen added. “He sat in on one of my sim sessions and I sat in on one of his last week. We just bounce ideas off each other. Our car setups are normally pretty close on road courses, so we try and work together. Any questions he has, I answer them. It goes the other way on ovals, too. I’m happy to pay it back this week.”

And yet, most believe this race still runs through ‘SVG’ and even in a world where he never raced anything like the Roval in Supercars, the three-time champion views this as just another track that favors his particular skills.

“Yeah, you still have to be precise,” he said. “You have to hit them with the right angle. You’re generally pretty aggressive on how you drive the car and how you treat the car. It feels pretty rough. The backstretch chicane, in particular, and the frontstretch lap this year I think will still be rough, but not as rough as last year. You can’t cut it as much with the bundle that they put. I think that’s a pretty good resolution they’ve come up with. It stops the question of cutting too much but also, it’s quite violent on the car if you abuse it.

“I think it’s a pretty good thing they’ve done there. But, yeah, you still have to be precise here. It’s a hard track to get things right, but you can grab the car by the scruff of the neck, too, and send it pretty hard.”

Not a guaranteed win at the Roval

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

His status as the favorite aside, SVG takes nothing for granted.

“I don’t think it’s a guarantee in this series,” he said. “But yeah, I think it’s a nice feeling. I don’t feel any more pressure, but it’s nice people think so high of us now. It’s a cool feeling that everyone knows the 88’s going to be pretty good this weekend. I like that. You certainly feel a pretty good atmosphere in the shop on a road course week. My teammates are strong on road courses, as well.

“I don’t think it puts any more pressure or expectation from outside. I guess from other drivers and media, maybe. But yeah, I find it’s a nice feeling to have.”

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– The Motorsport.com Team