Shane Van Gisbergen completed second to Tyler Reddick within the first highway course race of the NASCAR Cup Sequence season at Circuit of the Americas but in addition needed to work method more durable for it than any of his 5 wins in 2025.
To wit, the three-time Supercars champion turned Cup Sequence contender isn’t positive he’s robotically this favourite for this weekend at Watkins Glen both. His highway course prowess isn’t sufficient to compensate for the fact that Trackhouse Racing is struggling in every single place proper now.
“That’s a tough one,” stated Van Gisbergen final weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. “We are able to’t magically go have superb vehicles subsequent week, proper? So, I undoubtedly assume we felt it a bit as early as COTA that I undoubtedly felt like I didn’t have a very good automobile compared to final 12 months in comparison with everybody else.
“So, we’re not going to magically present up at Watkins Glen and have the most effective vehicles; we have to undoubtedly get higher. It’s been a troublesome season, particularly the previous couple of weeks for everybody, however I additionally benefit from the grind of making an attempt to get higher.
“It’s irritating not being quick and we do have to get higher.”
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There are positives too, after all, that SVG is nineteenth within the standings, which is a far enchancment from final 12 months now that he’s gotten totally acclimated to racing on ovals on the highest stage. He’s additionally solely 16 factors behind veteran teammate Ross Chastain.
However that’s the issue — Chastain is 18th within the standings with solely two superspeedway top-10s on his 2026 resume. That’s not the driving force. It’s the vehicles at Trackhouse year-over-year.
Once more, it’s not like ‘SVG’ was unhealthy at Circuit of the Americas however he stated he simply lacked all the things within the automobile he had final 12 months that didn’t enable him to flawlessly take or retain the lead.
“It was simply all the things,” Van Gisbergen stated. “I didn’t have flip, drive or energy, and people are the three belongings you want. It made it troublesome at COTA and we struggled in qualifying in order that’s irritating.”
For Van Gisbergen to make the Chase for the Championship, he might want to make the most of these highway programs and win to the extent he did final 12 months. This playoff format now not options and the win and you might be in element, so there may be further strain for ‘SVG’ to attain max factors this weekend and on the different tracks the place he turns proper.
“Yeah, after all, however I feel it is that expectation it’s important to handle,” stated Van Gisbergen. “As I stated, we’re not going to show up and have magically the quickest vehicles, you already know, that comes by laborious work, not simply placing good highway course drivers in it. So yeah, we aren’t simply displaying up and anticipating to win, however hopefully we’re good.”
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