Shane van Gisbergen’s race at Watkins Glen was nothing short of a wild ride, filled with highs, lows, and everything in between. The Kiwi driver fought his way up to P2, looking like he had a real shot at taking the win. But as often happens in NASCAR, things took a turn in the heat of battle. A fierce fight with his teammate, AJ Allmendinger, let the eventual winner, Connor Zilisch, slip away, leaving van Gisbergen to fend off the chaos that unfolded around him.

The turning point came when van Gisbergen made his move on Allmendinger, a moment that sparked what the commentators quickly dubbed “chaos.” A slight bit of contact between the two drivers snowballed into a rough-and-tumble affair that saw SVG bounced around by other cars as the race neared its conclusion. Despite the bumps, scrapes, and missed opportunity for a podium, van Gisbergen showed incredible grit, crossing the line in fifth place.

It wasn’t the finish he might’ve hoped for, but SVG wasn’t about to let it dampen his spirits. He battled hard, persevered through the madness, and walked away without regrets. After the race, he reflected on the tricky situation with his teammate, admitting that it put the team in a tough spot but chalked it up to the unpredictable nature of NASCAR.

Shane van Gisbergen’s battle for the top at Watkins Glen

When it was noticed that Shane van Gisbergen was getting into a battle with AJ Allmendinger, everyone knew that this would not end well. Sure, his teammate managed to keep his lead and finish third, but SVG lost a couple of positions on the final laps.

After the race, when Fronstretch approached the driver with a round of questions, SVG was asked about being in a battle that caused a few moments of heartstopping contact with his teammate. In response to the incident on the track, van Gisbergen responded, “Yeah, yeah, it’s a hard one. You know, obviously it’s awkward with a teammate.”

Speaking of the right way to win a race when in a team, the Kiwi driver continued, “You didn’t want to race too hard like that, but we lent on each other, and then he hit me back, and I hit him, and yeah, it’s hard, and then the leader gets away.”

The final laps were where everything unfolded, as after a caution flag it was a race for the fastest to the finish. Explaining what went down on the track, he stated, “Well, I guess green-white-checker, and it seems everyone loses their sh*t here.”

Although SVG did not have the best race at Watkins Glen, he has managed to impress fans since his first start in the Cup Series. So let’s dive into what makes Shane van Gisbergen one of the drivers to keep your eyes open for.

Shane van Gisbergen’s debut triumph in the Cup Series

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As of now, SVG is a full-time driver on the Xfinity team for Kaulig Racing. However, this will change next year as he has been promoted to the Cup Series team of Trackhouse Racing, and this is the moment he has been waiting for. The Cup Series turned well for him, as he managed to win his debut race at the 2023 Grant Park 220 in Chicago.

What makes this more special is the fact that SVG is the first driver to win his Cup Series debut since 1963. Back in the day, it was Johny Rutherford who achieved this same feat while driving for Smokey Yunick, and to make the win more notable, it was done at the Daytona International Speedway.

Unfortunately, there was no full-time seat for Rutherford after his Daytona win, but SVG is a different story. While Rutherford was a part-time racer, van Gisbergen has dedicated himself to the sport. His promotion into the Cup Series as a full-time driver has been something that was long coming.

Taking into consideration that this is his debut year in Kaulig Racing’s Xfinity team, he has already won 3 races with six top 5 finishes. This was enough to impress Trackhouse Racing and give him a seat for their 2025 Cup Series season.

The Kiwi driver has impressed many and it’s only about time that he competes in the prime of the NASCAR series. Do you think that he will be able to prove himself as a worthy Cup Series driver? Share your thoughts in the comments below.