Shane van Gisbergen notched his fourth win of the 2025 Cup Series season on Sunday at Watkins Glen. He proved yet again that he is the one true hero when it comes to road course racing and that no one on the grid can beat him on this front. His dominance has left even the likes of Denny Hamlin believing that they can bring him down only through questionable means.
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The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran discussed the Kiwi’s performance at The Glen on the recent episode of Actions Detrimental and said, “There’s going to be a race that something happens that’s gonna take him out. Like, he got taken out of Chicago. Remember, in the wet somebody made a mistake.”
“Like, he definitely is able to be vulnerable to someone else making a mistake. He’s not going to make it on his own. It’s going to be into Turn 1. Somebody ping-pongs into someone else, and it knocks him into Shane after he just pitted. Like, that’s what we need. We need a conspiracy,” Hamlin added while laughing.
For Hamlin, one of the best drivers in the history of NASCAR, to talk about a driver in his maiden full-time Cup Series season in such a manner is a great compliment. But the reality of it is not exaggerated in the slightest.
Van Gisbergen crossed the finish line 11.116 seconds ahead of second-placed Christopher Bell on Sunday. This is the second race that he has won with a margin of over ten seconds. The more impressive element about this achievement is that he made it look completely effortless. Neither Hamlin nor any other driver can be blamed for thinking about resorting to deceit to take him down.
At which road course can Shane van Gisbergen be defeated?
Hamlin’s co-host and producer, Travis Rockhold, was of the opinion that the Australian Supercars champion can only be defeated on a track as chaotic as the Charlotte Roval. Discussing the same, Hamlin stressed the reason why the Roval was created and Speedway Motorsports’ stand on keeping it on the schedule.
He said, “It was created because the racing on the oval wasn’t very good, but that’s been, you know, eight-ten years ago. I am absolutely certain that SMI and Marcus Smith are keeping the rope just to chap us. The fans don’t want it anymore. The drivers don’t want it, but I think they’re just like somebody else that I know that’s willing to die on the hill.”
It remains to be seen if van Gisbergen is a beatable force or if he will continue dominating his competitors.
