NASCAR Insider Brands Shane van Gisbergen as the “Greatest Road Course Racers Ever” in History
Shane van Gisbergen dominated in last weeks Cup and Xfinity race at Chicago Street race, proving himself as one of the best ever.

Shane van Gisbergen (via NASCAR)
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NASCAR cup Series race last Sunday at Chicago Street witnessed another Shane van Gisbergen masterclass. The Trackhouse Racing rookie, who is a three times Supercars champion, swept the weekend winning both Cup and Xfinity race, starting at the pole. It marked his second win of the 2025, season with the first one coming at Mexico City last month.
Shane van Gisbergen secured his NASCAR seat by establishing himself as a superstar back in 2023, in the inaugural Chicago Street race and securing another victory at the track in his full-time year makes it more special. He is now one of the most successful road course racers in the sport, and according to senior NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck, he is the best RC racer in the sports’ history.
This guy is clearly one of the great road course racers ever in NASCAR history. Is he already the best you’ve ever seen? I think I’m ready to say the best I’ve ever seen.
Jeff Gluck said via The Teardown podcast.
Jeff Gordon and Chase Elliott with seven road course wins each are statically the best in the sports history. But when the overall domination and efficiency is factored in, before SVG it was another Australian Supercars champion, Marcos Ambrose. But now with three Cup win to his name the Trackhouse driver has taken the first spot as the best road course racer as well as the most successful foreign-born racer in the sport.
For years I would say, ‘Hey, Marcos Ambrose is the best one I ever saw.’ I mean Jeff Gordon was great, but Marcos Ambrose was like wow. He didn’t have the cars really, too. But SVG is just another level. I mean this guy is unbelievably ridiculous.
Jeff Gluck added.
Shane van Gisbergen changed the narrative around him with Chicago win
In the same conversation, Jeff Gluck shared how significant the win is and how unique the dominance was. The last time a driver has won the pole and races in Cup and Xfinity before SVG this week at Chicago was RCR veteran Kyle Busch. In 2016 with JGR, he dominated both races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

It’s not just a street course. He did it at Mexico City. He could do it again next week at Sonoma. I mean the guy is, look, I think I saw a stat…I think he’s only the second person to sweep the poles and the races for Xfinity and Cup and the first since like Kyle Busch, Indianapolis 2016. Just what he is doing doesn’t happen often, obviously. The winningest foreign-born driver now with three Cup wins.
Jeff Gluck said.
There were a lot of negative narratives after SVG’s win at Mexico, as he was 34th in the points owing to his poor performance in the oval tracks. But now with his second win of the season, he has silenced some of the doubters and gives him the momentum to secure a third win in the upcoming road course race at Watkins Glen or Sonoma.
I think the storyline, the narrative of hey he won Mexico City, he was 34th in points or whatever. I think that is gone now that he’s won two of these races. Look, as somebody pointed out in the post-race press conference, he wins Sonoma next week he is tied for the most wins in the Cup Series.
Jeff Gluck added.
Though the narrative has stopped, its important for SVG to build momentum from his road course race performance and use it to perform better in the oval races. He has to prove himself in the oval tracks to earn the respect of everyone in the racing community and fandom.
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