Shane van Gisbergen delivered some Down Under redemption at Watkins Glen International on Sunday to cap the New Zealander’s cracking good week.
The Trackhouse Racing driver continued his dominance of NASCAR’s road courses, speeding to his fourth straight road win in 2025 as he rolled over the Cup Series field in the Go Bowling at the Glen in Watkins Glen, N.Y.
After leader Brad Keselowski pitted with 16 laps left, van Gisbergen cycled back around to the point and breezed to his fourth victory this season by 11.116 seconds over Christopher Bell. Defending champion Chris Buescher, William Byron and Chase Briscoe joined them in the top five.
The four victories, all on road races, tied the 36-year-old van Gisbergen with Denny Hamlin for this year’s series lead as he snared his fifth career win in just 38 starts.
In last season’s race at the Glen, SVG led at the white flag but slipped up in the “Bus Stop” portion of the legendary road course, allowing Buescher to pass for the win.
On Saturday in the Xfinity Series race, he was booted out of the way while leading by teammate Connor Zilisch and was wrecked out.
Neither scenario would play out that way Sunday for SVG, who received a contract extension earlier in the week.
“Oh, man, good to get that one back,” said van Gisbergen, who led 38 laps in the three-caution race. “What an awesome win. … The car was just amazing again. I gave that Bus Stop (turn) another meter on that last lap. Awesome.”
Added the No. 88 driver, who owns 22 playoff points, “We’ll have a proper crack (in the playoffs).”
Chevrolet scored its fifth win in the past seven races while Ford remained winless through its past 10 starts.
Trackhouse withdrew its third entry, the No. 87 Chevrolet of Zilisch, after the 19-year-old road racing standout broke his collarbone in a fall from his car after winning Saturday’s Xfinity event.
After earning his second career pole on a road course, Ryan Blaney paced the field during Stage 1 with van Gisbergen and Briscoe right behind in the same order they qualified for the Cup Series’ fifth of six stops on road racing layouts.
However, early pitting before the first segment ended allowed leader Buescher, Alex Bowman and Ryan Preece — 16th, 15th and 17th, respectively, around the 16-car cut line for the playoffs — to secure the top three spots on Lap 20.
In Stage 2, van Gisbergen, who notched road victories at Mexico City, Chicago and Sonoma after failing to win in Austin, Tex., in early March, began to flex his muscle and started the pitting with three laps left in the stage.
Turning over the lead that late allowed Blaney to stay out and earn the maximum stage points as John Hunter Nemechek wrecked into the outer barrier as the segment concluded. Byron and Bell finished second and third.
van Gisbergen was the class of the field through the middle third of the 90-lap race, restarting 12th at halfway, moving to third within five laps and passing leader Blaney on Lap 54. He then built an 18 1/2-second advantage in his Chevrolet over second-place teammate Ross Chastain with 30 to go.
–Field Level Media
