Shane van Gisbergen has proven to be just the kind of driver Justin Marks can bet his house on. In his rookie Cup season, he has already claimed multiple victories, with his road‑course prowess making headlines. With the 2025 season winding down, he’s chosen to reflect on his first full‑time run at NASCAR’s top level.
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Van Gisbergen has sharpened his skills on ovals, giving Trackhouse Racing even more reason to trust him as a long-term cornerstone. But it is his five wins in six road-course starts this year that have earned the New Zealander the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title.
SVG admitted the season has been equal parts thrilling and demanding. “The road courses, obviously, have been amazing, and then the ovals, I started the year finishing in the 30s, but I feel like we’ve grounded out, now we’re a 15th to 10th place car on most weeks,” he said.
“I think how much better we’ve gotten is a pretty awesome feeling, but certainly those first ten weeks of the year were eye-opening. We’ve made huge progress on the ovals the last couple of months, so we just need to keep building off that, and we will be in a good spot to start next season.”
“It means everything,” Van Gisbergen further stated, asserting that running well and getting such recognition is why he moved to the U.S. from New Zealand, and that’s why Marks believed in him.
Van Gisbergen uprooted his life to chase NASCAR glory, and fulfilling those expectations and executing them at the top level is exactly why he races. He credited his team for the success, saying the shared victories make the effort worthwhile. Watching the crew celebrate, he noted, is what truly drives him.
To share it with his #88 crew members and see how much it means to the guys who work so hard every week on the car and pit stops is joyous to the 36-year-old. From the shop floor to the pit box, SVG emphasized his love for the team atmosphere, calling the season a collective success that fuels his desire to keep improving.
With just one race left in his debut Cup campaign, SVG’s oval progress is also undeniable. In the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, he completed 388 laps inside the top 15, 77.6% of the race, finishing 14th.
His previous best oval run came two weeks ago in the opening race of the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he spent 63.7% of the race in the top 15 before a late crash derailed a potential top-five finish. That race also marked the first time he averaged inside the top 15 over a full oval event.
The numbers clearly show the story; his growth curve on ovals has been steady. As SVG heads into his sophomore year, all signs point to him becoming not just a road-course ace but a genuine contender across every type of track in the NASCAR Cup Series.
