Shane van Gisbergen is chartering into unknown territory. The Kiwi has never competed in the playoffs before but finds himself in the mix before the opening postseason race at Kansas Speedway. It has been an impressive debut season for the Kaulig Racing driver, who has won races at Portland, Sonoma, and the Chicago Street Course. However, what has truly stood out is his ability to adapt to oval courses, a format he wasn’t very familiar with before.

With seven races remaining before the Xfinity Series season ends, Shane van Gisbergen is downplaying his chances of lifting the title at Phoenix Raceway later this year. With expectations from the Kiwi at an all-time high, could it be his way of easing the pressure off his shoulders?

Shane van Gisbergen acknowledges improvement on oval tracks

With most races being on oval courses, there were question marks about the Kiwi’s ability to adapt to NASCAR, despite his obvious expertise, talent, and experience on road courses. However, the former V8 Supercars driver hasn’t disappointed, having secured more than ten top-15 finishes on oval courses in his season.

Sharing his experiences of driving at oval tracks on his debut season, Shane van Gisbergen told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “I think Indy was a standout. We’ve run fourth at Darlington. I think we drove from the back to sixth and we really had pace at times, top three pace. And that’s the most comfortable I’ve felt on ovals, you know. Darlington, was my second time there and right from the start I felt like I knew what to do, felt where to place my car, what the track was gonna do, and what I needed for my car to be fast, you know.”

However, the 35-year-old also downplayed his playoff chances, saying, “There’s three tracks really that are worrying in the playoffs but the rest of them I’ve been to before and I know what to expect you know. So yeah, that’s going to be interesting to see second time around, how much I’ve improved and how competitive can I be on the ovals. But you know, still probably a little way from winning outright but we’re definitely closer to, you know, being in the top five on some good weekends. It’s good to be there.”

Shane van Gisbergen heads into the playoffs in fifth place, 10 points above the cutline. While Kansas Speedway and Charlotte Roval will be new challenges, his strong performances at Atlanta (3rd), Indianapolis (4th), and Darlington (7th) show he can adapt quickly to various tracks.

Additionally, with no pressure on his Cup Series future, SVG remains a dark horse contender.

His views on the playoff format

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Shane van Gisbergen has had a steep learning curve in his Xfinity Series debut, quickly adapting to stock car racing and becoming a title contender. As the playoffs kick off at the Kansas Lottery 300, the 35-year-old was surprised by the postseason format, but he’s ready to compete.

Sharing his views about the format, the Kaulig Racing driver said, “I studied it (Monday) trying to understand how it works. The playoff system is crazy. It’s the most overcomplicated racing series I’ve been a part of, but I think it’s pretty cool. It’s great for the fans. One of my sponsors put out an article explaining the playoffs and how that all works. I had no idea how it works. It’s so complicated. So, I shared that on my pages and there’s people saying, ‘Oh, thanks, I didn’t know that’s how it worked.’ Everyone was reading it, learning with me. So, that’s pretty cool.”

Cole Custer’s victory at Bristol may have made headlines, but it’s Justin Allgaier who currently tops the Xfinity Series standings. With the playoff format guaranteeing a Round of 8 spot for any contender who wins in the first three races—Kansas, Talladega, and Charlotte Roval—the stakes are high.

Despite his lack of experience with Roval’s unique hybrid layout, Shane van Gisbergen is looking forward to the challenge. If the Kiwi manages to secure a win, it could boost him into Championship 4 at Phoenix.

Can he defy the odds? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!