Xfinity Series field shouldn't take surging Shane van Gisbergen lightly down the stretch

Shane van Gisbergen has put collectively a particularly spectacular rookie 12 months within the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence, however you would be flawed to easily name him a road-course ringer. 

Whereas it is true that each one three of van Gisbergen’s victories have come on road-courses, he has three extra top-10 finishes on the likes of Atlanta, Phoenix and Indianapolis. 

With little apply out there to him, van Gisbergen has pressured to be taught on the fly throughout races. Nonetheless, he is tailored rapidly to the Xfinity Sequence, ending top-15 in 12 of his first 20 races. A possible top-10 run at Pocono was spoiled because of contact with Sam Mayer, but it surely’s clear that SVG has taken rapidly to stock-car racing. 

As a consequence of his road-course aptitude, it is van Gisbergen who at the moment leads the Xfinity Sequence in wins. If the regular-season ended immediately, van Gisbergen can be seeded within the top-five, a significant assist in his bid for the 2024 Xfinity Sequence championship. 

His lack of oval expertise, nevertheless, should not be a purpose for his championship opponents to take him calmly. Whereas there’s just one road-course within the playoffs — the Charlotte Roval on Oct. 12 — it serves because the elimination race for the Spherical of 12. Even when Kansas and Talladega do not go van Gisbergen’s approach, a win on the Roval would robotically put him within the Spherical of 8. 

The schedule for the Spherical of 8 would not explicitly favor van Gisbergen, containing Las Vegas, Homestead and Martinsville, but it surely would not function the dying knell for his title bid, both. Van Gisbergen did not get a good shake in his first journey to Las Vegas in March, as engine troubles derailed his day. Homestead can be a totally new venue for the New Zealander, however Martinsville may very well be his alternative to strike. 

Van Gisbergen ran contained in the top-10 at Martinsville in April earlier than in the end settling for an Eleventh-place end. Contemplating how rapidly he learns in his debuts at tracks, going to a monitor for the second time may very well be the catalyst for his first oval victory. 

Take SVG calmly at your individual threat, Xfinity Sequence subject: Behind the smiling, good natured shell of the Auckland native is a fierce competitor who is among the greatest rookies any NASCAR collection has ever seen.