Shane Van Gisbergen NASCAR Cup Series Watkins Glen

No one has been better on the road courses this year than Shane Van Gisbergen.  

The New Zealander continues to show why at Watkins Glen International. The No. 88 Chevrolet won the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowl at the Glen on Sunday.  

“I’m just a very lucky guy to get to drive for an amazing bunch of people and just execute,” Van Gisbergen said. “The day just went flawlessly and I really enjoyed it.

Van Gisbergen, who started second in the race, has now won four of the five road courses this season. Unlike last year, he was able to hold off Christopher Bell and Chris Buescher handily this time, who won the road course in 2024.  

“I gave that wall about half a meter this time and tried not to push too hard,” Van Gisbergen said. “That was definitely in the back of my mind, but I was not under pressure, so take it easy I guess.”

Van Gisbergen and his team’s strategy was to go for the win, which allowed Buescher to take the first stage, and Ryan Blaney, the pole sitter, to win stage two.  

He led a race-best 38 of 90 laps, including the final 17, to give himself his first trip to victory lane at the Glen.

“The 12 was really fast at the start, and then we sort of split strategies,” Van Gisbergen said. “And at the end of stage three, I didn’t really know how it was going to play out.”  

Next up on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway next weekend, before the regular season finale at Dayton International Speedway later this month.