Shane Van Gisbergen Dominates at Watkins Glen for Record-Setting Fourth Road Course Win

Shane van Gisbergen delivered another road course masterclass Sunday at Watkins Glen International, claiming his fourth NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and setting a rookie record in the process. The 36-year-old New Zealander led 38 of 90 laps in the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, pulling away in the closing stages to defeat Christopher Bell by 11.116 seconds.

“Good to get that one back,” van Gisbergen said, referencing his runner-up finish in this race last year. “What an awesome race. Coming back through after my final pit stop I had a lot of fun. The car was just amazing again. Another win. Awesome. It’s the stuff you dream about right? I’m just a very lucky guy to get to drive for an amazing bunch of people and just execute. The day just went flawlessly and I really enjoyed it. Thank you everyone.”

The result also carried personal meaning, as his father Robert attended his first race of the year. “It’s just amazing to have him here,” van Gisbergen said. “It’s been a very tough, tough year for dad, and he hasn’t been able to travel, so to have him here for the next three weeks and share this with him, it’s amazing.”

The Trackhouse Racing driver has now won four straight road or street course events — Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen — joining Chase Elliott and Jeff Gordon as the only drivers to achieve the feat in the Cup Series. He also became just the second driver in history, alongside Dan Gurney, to take his first five Cup victories on road courses.

Unlike his earlier wins this season, van Gisbergen started second after being pipped to pole by Ryan Blaney. He took the lead for the first time on Lap 25 and settled into a smooth rhythm on the 2.45-mile circuit. His final pit stop came with 27 laps remaining, cycling him into first place on Lap 74. From there, he was untouchable, leading the final 17 laps to claim his fifth career Cup Series win in only 38 starts.

Bell, who passed Chris Buescher on the final lap for second, praised his rival while admitting the gap was frustrating. “I’m thrilled [today] because we’ve been struggling a little bit to find our rhythm,” Bell said. “The cars have been good. Really awesome to have a good day, but frustrated to get our butts kicked by the 88 car doing such a great job. That team has really got it going on.”

Buescher, who edged van Gisbergen for the win at Watkins Glen last year, finished third and strengthened his hold on the final playoff spot, now 34 points clear of RFK Racing teammate Ryan Preece. “Had a fast race car again and definitely took the opportunity to capitalize on some stage points early,” Buescher said. “Still got back into second there and was making some pretty good headway but just got used up really hard getting by a couple cars to get track position and it fell off pretty hard there at the end.”

William Byron finished fourth to extend his Regular Season Championship lead to 42 points over teammate Chase Elliott, who placed 26th. Chase Briscoe was fifth, followed by pole-sitter Blaney, Daniel Suárez, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Ross Chastain.

Thirteen drivers have already locked into the playoffs with wins. Reddick, Alex Bowman, and Buescher hold the remaining provisional spots on points, while Preece and Kyle Busch sit below the cut line. With two regular-season races left — Richmond Raceway next Saturday and the Daytona International Speedway finale on August 23 — the playoff picture could still change dramatically.

For van Gisbergen, the victory validated last week’s announcement of his multiyear contract extension with Trackhouse Racing. Now tied with Denny Hamlin for the most wins this season, he holds the No. 2 seed entering the postseason. The first playoff round will be on ovals, where he admits he still has much to learn.

“It ain’t going to be easy, that’s for sure,” van Gisbergen said. “The first round, it’s some very difficult left-handed tracks for me, but I’m getting better at it, and I’m enjoying myself, and it’s a challenge. That’s why we’re here, and we’ll have a proper crack at it.”