Two NASCAR insiders are enjoying what Shane van Gisbergen is doing during his rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series. On The Teardown podcast, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reacted to van Gisbergen breaking a Cup Series rookie record after winning at Watkins Glen.
“He wins his fourth straight NASCAR Cup Series road course race. He breaks the NASCAR Cup Series rookie record for most wins a season,” Gluck said. “Goodbye, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson. SVG is now tied for the lead in Cup Series victories for the season with Denny Hamlin, with two races before the playoffs. …Are you ready to admit yet that he’s the greatest road course driver in NASCAR Cup Series history?”
Bianchi wasn’t ready to announce Shane van Gisbergen as the GOAT in road course racing in NASCAR since Jeff Gordon and Chase Elliott had similar streaks. But the insider is impressed with what SVG has done this year.
“This is what dominance is,” Bianchi said. “When you are so good, you are so great, and it feels like you’re toying with the competition, you make it look boring. He makes the routine look boring, but he is so good at this. …What he did today and how he managed this race goes back to what we talked about; he doesn’t make mistakes on the racetrack.”
Shane van Gisbergen reacts to breaking NASCAR Cup Series rookie record
Along with the four victories this season, van Gisbergen has a top-10 finish at COTA, which is another road course. In 38 career Cup Series races, the 36-year-old has earned five victories and nine top-10 finishes.
After winning at Watkins Glen, van Gisbergen talked about breaking the NASCAR Cup Series rookie record for most wins in a season. “It means everything. The prep that we go through, not just for these road courses, but we do it every week,” he said.
“As I’ve said a lot of times over the last few weeks, I feel like we’ve gotten a lot better, especially on the ovals, and it’s been cool working with a great bunch of people, and just to share four wins with everyone and seeing how much it meant to everyone when you’re high fiving during the burnout, you can see how into it they are.”
