Shane Van Gisbergen says he is been performing “higher” on the street course after registering his fourth NASCAR Cup Collection victory at Watkins Glenn on Sunday.
The Kiwi has been a street course benchmark ever since gorgeous the NASCAR Paddock by profitable his Chicago debut in 2023.
However now, in his first full season within the Cup Collection, Van Gisbergen has expanded his benefit, with Sunday’s outcomes incomes his fourth success on the street course in 5 makes an attempt this 12 months.
It additionally means that he’s the primary rookie within the historical past of the collection to win 4 races and cements himself as one of the crucial thrilling skills to take part within the Cup Grid in recent times.
Vangisbergen’s success in venues like this relies on his intensive expertise on the Australian Supercar Championship, profitable three titles in Triple 8 Race Engineering, serving with GM.
Whereas a lot has been written about what NASCAR’s established drivers are doing to bridge the hole with Van Gisbergen, Sunday’s race steered there’s nonetheless work to do after turning the 36-year 36-year flag right into a checkered flag with a dominant victory margin of 11 seconds.
When requested if he felt his rival was enhancing, Van Gisbergen pointed to his personal progress since participating within the Cup Collection as a full-time driver this season after competing within the 2024 partial marketing campaign.
“I believe they’re good anyway.
“The distinction is that I’m with the group full time this 12 months, and I believe I used to be in a position to develop the setup and tweak it to what I wished.
“Final 12 months, I jumped in a bit and introduced truckhouse automobiles to Kaurig and the blokes from Kaurig did it, however this 12 months I am all concerned within the setup and making an attempt to be taught each week.
“We have got higher than the rest. We’re on the truck, we all know what the instruments are, what tuning instruments are, what we all know, what we wish to really feel in our automotive.
“It was a very intense assembly like this Monday, making an attempt to enhance what we had final 12 months, and I got here right here yesterday and felt that the automobiles had been completely different from daytime and daytime. I believe we’re the one ones who get higher on the group.”
Van Githbergen is now celebrating the most recent NASCAR success together with his father Robert, who joined him within the victory lane in upstate New York.
He revealed that his father had endured troublesome instances.
“He got here to Chicago and got here two or thrice final 12 months,” Van Gisbergen stated.
“However yeah, it was fairly troublesome. He misplaced his spouse, mom, sister and his mother for a couple of month. It was a very robust run for Dad.
“It is onerous to assist him after I’m on the opposite facet of the world, that is most likely why I am essentially the most homesick.
“Then my sister moved in too, so he is hastily he is like himself. I attempt to speak to him daily.
“Wanting him right here, and like he was nearly in tears, as a result of we have been a good distance from dwelling.”
