Kevin Harvick Labels Shane van Gisbergen as NASCAR’s “Best Road Course Racer Ever”

Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen proved yet again that he is a class apart from the rest of the field in road courses last Sunday at Watkins Glen. He won the race after coming back from a 29 second deficit with 18 laps left in the race. The overtook the more than half of the grid with six laps left in the race to finish the event six second ahead of the second-place driver.

Talking about the impressive run from the Kiwi on his podcast, 2012 Cup champion Kevin Harvick pointed out that there is no one in the current NASCAR garage that is capable of going as fast as the No:97 Chevy driver. His efficiency and pace were the difference maker on Sunday.

Nobody else is going to make it go as fast as him. He’s so efficient with his passes. The way that the caution fell, it put the rest of the field in a position where they were short on fuel. So, they were already at a deficit from a speed standpoint.

Kevin Harvick said via Speed on Fox.

"Hands down, the best road course racer that the Cup Series has ever seen." @KevinHarvick and @wbuxtonofficial react to Shane van Gisbergen's clinic at Watkins Glen. pic.twitter.com/EHpHD3vGGI

— SPEED on FOX (@SPEEDonFOX) May 12, 2026

Further talking about the point, he highlighted how the Trackhouse team took advantage of rivals saving fuels towards the end of the race. When they made a pit-stop with less than 20 laps left, others were running two seconds slower. The fresh tires and extra fuel gave the Shane van Gisbergen an extra advantage.  

But when they had to start saving fuel, it was two to two and a half seconds a lap that he was making up. He drove through the whole field and then drove off at the end of the race. Just an unbelievable performance again.

Kevin Harvick added.

Seeing the Kevin Harvick continuing to praise the New Zealand born racer, the co-host of the podcast Will Buxton asked the all-important question, is SVG NASCAR’s Road Course racing goat. The Fox Sports broadcaster didn’t think twice when he answered there hasn’t been anyone ever in the sport that has ever raced better.

WB: Is he the greatest road course racer that the Cup Series has ever seen?

KH: Hands down the best road course racer that the Cup Series has ever seen.

Kevin Harvick responds to Will Buxton.

Kevin Harvick remembers Marcus Ambrose after Shane van Gisbergen’s Watkins Glen dominance

The Supercars driver that made a name for himself in USA with road course racing masterclass before SVG was Australian Marcus Ambrose. Watching the Trackhouse driver humbling the elite Cup garage on Sunday at Watkins Glen, Harvick had flashbacks of the veteran racer.

Qualifying, he was two to two and a half tenths faster than every single car into the bus stop. And there’s only one other person that I’ve raced against that I’ve seen do that at Watkins Glen, and that was Marcus Ambrose.

Kevin Harvick insisted.

The comments from the 2014 Cup champion shows how high he and the rest of the garage hold Van Gisbergen. It would be interesting to see how many more races the Kiwi will win in the 2026 season, with four more road courses left in the schedule.

Also Read: Christopher Bell Brands His 2026 Season as “Disappointing”