Shane van Gisbergen‘s street course dominance was on full display during the recent NASCAR event in Mexico, as he secured victory by more than sixteen seconds ahead of his rivals, underlining his expertise on twisty circuits. The Kiwi driver‘s reputation was already established from his Cup Series win in Chicago last year, but this latest performance has left drivers like Ryan Blaney and others in open admiration of van Gisbergen’s skill in handling the street tracks.
Ryan Blaney Shares Honest Admiration for SVG’s Skills
During a recent SiriusXM NASCAR appearance, Ryan Blaney gave an honest account of how it feels to race against Shane van Gisbergen. With a hint of humor, Blaney admitted that catching sight of SVG during a race has become a rarity because of the gap van Gisbergen creates on track.
“The only time I watch him is on the TV, because I don’t see him during the race. He’s so far ahead of me. It’s not often that I get to be behind him. Man, honestly, it’s… For me, it’s not really frustration. It’s a lot of admiration. I know how good he is.”
—Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Driver
Reflecting on Mexico’s outcome, Blaney praised van Gisbergen’s dominance, describing it as a decisive defeat for the rest of the field.
“It’s so impressive. Like, how good he is, especially up to street courses. I mean, he showed it in Mexico as well. How much of a butt kicking that he put on us there?”
—Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Driver
Blaney also highlighted van Gisbergen’s resilience, referencing SVG’s own words about his condition during the Mexico race.
“While he was coming out both ends, as he was saying in Mexico, and he still put 15 seconds on everybody. So, it’s just impressive, man.”
—Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Driver
Blaney’s remarks made it clear that admiration, rather than frustration, is what he feels watching SVG set the pace on street circuits.
“For me it’s not really frustration, it’s a lot of admiration.”
—Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Driver
Why Chasing SVG Is a Challenge for the Field
The Team Penske driver spoke further about how even modern race data and tools can’t close the gap on Shane van Gisbergen. Advanced SMT data used to break down race pace and pinpoint moments where drivers lose time offers little insight in SVG’s case, as he consistently executes perfectly from start to finish. According to Blaney, the difference stems from van Gisbergen’s seamless threading together of an entire lap, rather than any single weakness others could exploit.
Blaney stated that van Gisbergen’s mastery comes from the way he manages his car over bumps, how he extracts performance in each corner, and impressively, does all of this without needing to overextend himself. Blaney warned that if SVG ever decided to push his limits even further, the competition could find themselves racing solely for second place.
SVG Leaves Rivals Trailing on Road Courses
Despite navigating a learning curve on oval tracks—where van Gisbergen currently sits 27th in the Cup Series standings with two wins—his performance on street courses remains unmatched. Meanwhile, Blaney, who holds seventh place with a victory this season, recognizes that on road and street courses, van Gisbergen sets a benchmark few in the NASCAR field can match.
The Impact of Van Gisbergen’s Dominance in NASCAR
Shane van Gisbergen’s continuing street course dominance signals a major shift in how drivers and teams approach these events, with even Cup Series champions acknowledging his exceptional skillset. As the season progresses, competitors like Ryan Blaney and the broader field will likely study SVG’s approach in hopes of narrowing the gap, but for now, the Kiwi remains the standard on NASCAR’s most technical circuits.
