Shane van Gisbergen has stormed into the Cup Series with a debut full-time season, collecting four victories in the regular season. But while his playoff berth is secure, Dale Earnhardt Jr. doubts the New Zealander will stick around for long once the postseason begins.
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Each of SVG’s four wins came on road courses, his bread and butter from years of Supercars dominance. On ovals, which make up the bulk of the NASCAR calendar, he still appears to be finding his stride.
The Round of 16 will open with the Southern 500 at Darlington, then head to Gateway, before rolling into Bristol. Those three oval races could be a tough climb for SVG, given his limited experience and lack of mastery.
However, if he survives that gauntlet, the next round offers relief, with the Charlotte Roval presenting a prime stage for his road-course skillset. But as Dale Jr. sees it, clearing that first round hurdle might prove too tall a task for him.
On his Dale Jr. Download podcast, Earnhardt didn’t mince words: “I do not believe that SVG… Man, it’s gonna be tight. He’s got 16 points to sort of cushion the blow.”
Cushioning his own blow, Dale Jr. added, “He has been running better at the ovals. But man, this will be tough. I like the guy. SVG is awesome. I just have a hard time seeing him escape the Round of 16…
“I don’t think SVG will make it because they’re just looking. I’m looking at the other competition. It’s not a knock on SVG but when he doesn’t make it, it’ll be by the slimmest of margins.”
At present, SVG sits sixth in the standings, just behind Christopher Bell and ahead of Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric, Ross Chastain, and Joey Logano.
Yet, unlike that group, all of whom cut their teeth on ovals from a young age, the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing driver faces a steep learning curve. To outduel those oval veterans, or even hold his ground against them, will be no walk in the park.
