Tony Stewart is a one-of-a-kind driver. His versatility on various tracks, combined with his knack for conquering road courses, has established his NASCAR legacy as one of the all-time greats. Tony Stewart missed out on a top-10 finish in the final NASCAR standings only once between 1999 and 2012, showcasing his dominance. Legendary drivers like Stewart serve as benchmarks for comparison, and Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) has been likened to him.

NASCAR insider Leigh Diffy is a play-by-play commentator for NBC’s motorsport coverage and has mounted huge praise on the Kiwi driver. SVG has had a great Xfinity series campaign as he sits in the 9th spot right now with 3 wins and 7 top-15 finishes this season. He has also taken part in 10 Cup series races this year and finished in the top 15 three times, leading a total of 49 laps. He took part in just two races last season and notched up a win at Chicago Street in his first-ever race. Now you know how good of a driver SVG is, but what likens him to Tony Stewart?

Leigh Duffy feels SVG can go toe-to-toe with the greatest

On an episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Leigh Diffy said, “His progression has been pretty astounding, I think, though. You have to realize his level of racing IQ, I mean that’s a guy who’s gone and done around of the World Rally championship and finished in the top 10 you know. He could race V8 supercars for so long, know he’s NASCAR.”

Shane van Gisbergen is more than just a NASCAR driver- the Kiwi just loves to race and has shown his skills all over the world. He is known for his success in the Supercars Championship in Australia and New Zealand, being a 3-time champ in 2016,2021 and 2022. He has been racing since 2007 and his venture into NASCAR comes with loads of experience. The 35-year-old placed 7th at the Charlotte Roval, a very difficult track to drive on. The updated Roval is filled with daunting turns and SVG maneuvered through them smoothly.

Duffy further said, “You could put him in anything and he just loves to drive a car, and i think here in North American we have so many examples of great drivers who were diverse. You know, Mario Andretti, Tony Stewart, AJ Foyt, the list goes on, now in the modern era Kyle Larson”….. “Shane’s cut from that same cloth.”

Huge praise coupled with massive expectations from Duffy, who feels SVG and Stewart are made from the same stuff. The part where this comparison starts to make sense is when you look at road courses. Tony Stewart is one of the greatest road course racers the sport has ever seen. His mastery of the Watkins Glen circuit is remarkable with 5 wins and finishing in the top-15 twelve times in his 16 races at the track.

SVG has raced at four road courses so far in his NASCAR career and fared pretty well. He finished 2nd at Watkins Glen behind Chris Buescher, another excellent road course racer. His other three races saw him finish in the top 10 twice, one coming with a 7th place at the Roval on Sunday and the 10th at the Indy Road Course in 2023.

SVG’s stunning Cup series debut

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It’s not often you get to make your Cup series debut and instantly take home the title. In fact, it is so rare that SVG was the first driver to do so since Johnny Rutherford in 1963. His debut came about during the inauguration of the Chicago street track in 2023 as the No.91 driver for Trackhouse Racing.

SVG started third on the grid but made it to the middle of the pack by the second stage. He passed Justin Haley at Lap 71, but moments later, a crash between Bubba Wallace and Ricky Stenhouse Jr sent the race into overtime. A dramatic start to the Kiwi’s career as he held on in overtime to secure the victory. This was a proud moment for the Kiwi who became the first New Zealander to win a Cup series race.

SVG entered NASCAR as a road course ringer and has demonstrated his value in that role. After comparisons with Tony Stewart, the sky is the limit for the Kiwi, but expectations will also rise significantly. With road course masters like Chase Elliot, Kyle Larson, and Chris Buescher amongst the current drivers, who do you think stands out on top?