“Live in the Moment”: SVG and His Team Keep Composure After Cup Victory, But Reveal Their Biggest Concern
“With the skills he (Shane van Gisbergen) has, if he stays in NASCAR for five or 10 years, I would start thinking of him as the greatest of all time.” That was Jimmie Johnson’s assessment back in July 2025. Much has changed since then. SVG now boasts seven road course victories, reigniting conversations about his legacy. Yet, the driver of the #97 car remains remarkably grounded.
“Shane van Gisbergen isn’t just the best road racer right now—he might be the best in NASCAR history,” said Fox NASCAR broadcaster Mike Joy.
While Joy has the experience to back such a bold claim, SVG doesn’t buy into the hype—at least not yet.
“It’s special when people say things like that, but I live in the moment. It’s something I’ll probably reflect on when I stop racing,” van Gisbergen responded to Joy’s comments while speaking with media at Watkins Glen, following what many consider one of the greatest road course performances in NASCAR history.
With 40 laps remaining, the Kiwi was instructed to push while other drivers conserved fuel. He held his position, but when he pitted under green with 25 laps to go, the #97 car dropped to 25th place, nearly 30 seconds behind leader Ty Gibbs. Then came the defining moment. Over the next 16 laps, he surged back to snatch the lead, covering ground at an astonishing rate, before building a 7-second gap over Gibbs in the final eight laps.
Of course, many drivers were saving fuel at that point, which helped SVG close the gap and gain positions. But for a driver still early in his Cup career, the performance was unprecedented.
Looking at all-time road course winners’ advanced stats, van Gisbergen has already matched or is rapidly approaching the career numbers of Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Chase Elliott—in a fraction of the starts they had.
| Driver | RC Starts | Wins | Win % | Top 5 | Top 5 % | Laps Led |
|——–|———–|——|——-|——-|———|———-|
| Jeff Gordon | 48 | 9 | 18.75% | 21 | 43.75% | 719 |
| Tony Stewart | 34 | 8 | 23.53% | 14 | 41.18% | 329 |
| Chase Elliott | 44 | 7 | 15.91% | 22 | 50.00% | 493 |
| SVG | 14 | 7 | 50.00% | 9 | 64.29% | 418 |
Joy might be right to call him the greatest road course driver ever, but one major factor still limits SVG.
“We still need to improve our oval program,” said Stephen Doran, crew chief of the #97, when asked about their championship chances this season.
The 37-year-old spent most of his professional career in Australia’s Supercars Series, which explains his dominance on NASCAR road courses. However, the majority of NASCAR and stock-car racing takes place on ovals—an area he still needs to master.
SVG has shown improvement on ovals. His sixth-place finish at Atlanta earlier this year was his best oval result, but he still struggles to secure top-10 finishes at those tracks. This might be one reason he hesitates to embrace Mike Joy’s praise. But his recent comments show he’s not just here to show off road course skills—he’s here to win a title.
**Shane van Gisbergen on His Oval Racing Future**
If this were the 2025 season, he would already be comfortably locked into the Cup Series championship contention. But with the elimination-style playoff gone and the Chase format reinstated, he will need to put in significant work—and he knows it.
“I really want to earn my way in this year, and that’s what I have to do,” SVG said. “I know we need to get better as a team, and I still need to improve a lot as a driver.”
Pulling a Chevrolet into Victory Lane has been tough this season. Even the best drivers at Hendrick Motorsports haven’t managed it. Chase Elliott had to wait until Martinsville for his and Chevy’s first win, largely due to changes in the ZL1’s body. But as Toyota’s dominance over Chevy fades, SVG might have a real shot at the title. He’s been working on his weakness:
“I still enjoy it and feel like I’m learning a lot, especially in the last couple of years,” he added. “It’s probably more than I’ve ever learned, and I don’t feel like I’m getting slower. I’ll keep doing it as much as I can.”
Consistency is key to winning the title in this format, so it remains uncertain if he will realistically contend. However, with seven road course wins—now just two shy of Jeff Gordon atop the all-time list—Mike Joy might not be entirely wrong in calling him the best road course driver in NASCAR history.