Shane van Gisbergen Eyes Denny Hamlin’s Technique Heading Into Maiden NASCAR Appearance at Richmond

Neha Dwivedi | 16/08/2025
Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen celebrates winning on the podium after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Mexico City Race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Denny Hamlin on a short track is always a spectacle, and while many aim to outrun him, Shane van Gisbergen is eager to study his craft. With an average finish of 8.1 across 36 short-track starts, highlighted by five wins and 20 top-fives, Hamlin stands as a benchmark for the New Zealander still adapting to ovals.

Though SVG has already captured four wins this season in five road-course events, the oval game remains his work in progress, and on Sunday at Richmond, he plans to take a few pointers from Hamlin’s playbook.

Coming off the Watkins Glen win, SVG spoke about his appreciation for Hamlin’s approach during a pre-race press conference. “It’s just amazing… it’s just the different styles, right? And his (Hamlin’s) style is very unique. The way he’s mainly using a different gear and stabbing at the throttle, and it’s just techniques, I’ve never come across or needed to use before.”

“But in NASCAR, there’s so many different ways to get the car around the track fast. And I’m trying to be as open-minded as possible and changing my style. And especially for a track I’ve never been to before. And I probably won’t try it today in practice, but if it gets stalled out in the race and or in a moment where I’ve got time to try stuff, I’ll experiment a bit,” he added.

 

He also noted how the top-tier Cup drivers show subtle but critical variations in their driving, making it fascinating to observe and learn. To SVG, oval racing feels like a blank canvas, and he is still working to discover the style that best fits.

Last year, when he was still driving in the Xfinity Series, the Trackhouse Racing driver had a decent P14 finish at Richmond. And on Sunday, it would be the second time he would drive on the track.

However, he is starting to improve as well on the ovals, so fans might expect a better result this time around. Recently, SVG earned his first oval win in a Legends Car, taking the Pro Legends A-Feature at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the closing night of the 2025 Cook Out Summer Shootout.

He also qualified P1 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, P6 at Dover Motor Speedway, and P11 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For now, he is sharpening his oval skills not only in NASCAR but also by cutting his teeth in Legends competition.

Post Edited By: Nidhi
Denny Hamlin Shane Van Gisbergen

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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