SVG Acknowledges Need to Improve Despite Mexico Win to Secure Cup Spot

Shane van Gisbergen collected a commanding victory in the NASCAR Cup Series race held in Mexico City, crossing the finish line more than 16 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell. This is the largest margin of victory in a NASCAR Cup event since 2009.

Van Gisbergen’s performance highlighted his strength on road courses, where he has quickly earned a reputation as one of the top drivers.

However, with only six road courses on the 36-race schedule and just a small portion of playoff races run on these tracks, SVG knows he must keep improving on ovals to solidify his place in the Cup Series.

After celebrating the win with his Trackhouse Racing team, van Gisbergen was clear about his priorities. He stated that excelling on road courses is what got him into the series, but his season will only be fully justified if he continues to make progress at oval tracks.

The New Zealander emphasized the importance of contributing to the team’s playoff push and expressed his excitement to share the victory with the trackside crew as well as the staff who support the operation back at the shop.

Van Gisbergen’s first year in NASCAR Cup competition has presented many challenges, especially on ovals. Early in the season, he finished 31st or worse in six of the opening eight oval races.

Despite this rocky start, he has started to turn things around. Over the past month, SVG notched three top-20 finishes in the last four oval events and even earned a pole position in the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

His approach has been methodical, focusing on gradual improvements and learning every week. Looking back, van Gisbergen’s best finish on an oval came last fall at Martinsville with Kaulig Racing, where he placed 12th.

This year, he finished 14th in the grueling Coca-Cola 600, showing further signs of progress. In the Xfinity Series, his best oval result so far is a third-place effort at Atlanta Motor Speedway, giving the driver more confidence as he grows his experience in American stock car racing.

The win in Mexico boosted van Gisbergen’s playoff prospects, making his spot in the postseason nearly certain. Still, he is not slowing down.

With nine of the final ten races taking place on ovals, the work is far from over in his rookie campaign. Every race presents another opportunity to prove himself and help Trackhouse Racing contend at a high level.

SVG remains focused on delivering consistent performances, determined to back up his road course victories with results on every type of track. The season continues with more oval challenges ahead, and van Gisbergen is ready for the next phase, aiming to show he can be a complete driver in the NASCAR Cup Series.