Shane van Gisbergen‘s remarkable run of NASCAR road course victories came to an abrupt halt at Dover after a tire puncture dashed his hopes for a third consecutive win, cutting short his momentum in pursuit of further championship success. The incident follows two breakthrough triumphs that established him as the most successful international driver in the sport’s history, propelling the focus keyword
“Shane van Gisbergen NASCAR road course wins”
into the spotlight.
Tire Trouble Ends van Gisbergen’s Winning Streak
Shane van Gisbergen, who drives for Trackhouse Racing, experienced a major setback at Dover after a strong start to his NASCAR campaign. Despite optimism following impressive victories, a punctured tire early in the race put his #88 car multiple laps behind, ending his chance for a historic three-race winning streak. He openly expressed his disappointment on social media:
“Well that was over before it started. We got a punctured tire at the start of the race really put us a heap of laps down. Just logged laps till the end. Sucks to have a race like this after the momentum we’ve had the past month! Try again next weekend at Indy.”
Although he began the race from the sixth position, the puncture left van Gisbergen in last place at the end of Stage 1. He made a small recovery in Stage 2, moving up to 34th, and ultimately finished the day in 30th position, placing just behind Cole Custer of Haas Factory Racing and ahead of William Byron from Hendrick Motorsports, who had also encountered difficulties.
Breaking Records with Consecutive Road Course Wins
Van Gisbergen’s performance earlier in the season marked a new chapter for international drivers in NASCAR. His victory at the Grant Park 165 in Chicago made him the winningest foreign-born driver in the sport’s history. He followed this up with another dominant showing by securing the win at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 in Sonoma. These consecutive road course triumphs not only qualified him for the playoffs, but also provided a significant boost in the regular season championship.
After his historic wins, van Gisbergen held three race victories, backed by three poles and strong performances that placed him among the championship’s frontrunners. His average starting and finishing positions—24.381 and 22.238, respectively—underscore both the strength of his performances and the unpredictability inherent in motorsports.
Kyle Larson Recognizes Van Gisbergen’s Road Course Mastery
The NASCAR community has taken notice of van Gisbergen’s achievements, with high-profile competitors praising his unique approach to road courses. Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson, himself an accomplished racer, highlighted van Gisbergen’s different technique and international racing style:
“He’s way, way, way better than us at the road course stuff — and he’s got his own technique, you can call it. Not his own because the rest of the world does it, right-foot braking, clutching and all that stuff.” —Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports driver
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Like, there’s zero chance I can learn how to do that. And even if I did, like there’s zero chance that I can have it be better than what I’m probably doing left-foot braking. So yeah, he’s just so good,” the HMS driver further added.
Larson’s comments emphasize how van Gisbergen’s skills, honed through international racing experience, have brought a new dimension to NASCAR, challenging drivers to adapt and raising admiration within the paddock.
Road Ahead for Van Gisbergen
Currently sitting in 26th place with 374 points after 21 races, van Gisbergen continues to feature among the sport’s most talked-about competitors. Although his strong string of results was halted at Dover, his past victories in Chicago, Sonoma, and Mexico have already left a significant mark on this NASCAR season. As van Gisbergen sets his sights on the upcoming race in Indianapolis, fans and rivals alike will watch to see if he can recapture his winning form and further add to his legacy in the series.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why did Shane van Gisbergen quit Supercars?
A. Van Gisbergen permanently left Supercars after an impressive first NASCAR Cup Series race with Trackhouse Racing, where he won in Chicago. Looking back on his decision, he mentioned not finding joy in Supercars. “I disliked that car,” he commented about the Gen3 Camaro.
