Shane van Gisbergen cemented his reputation as a road course specialist on Sunday, claiming his fourth straight NASCAR Cup Series victory at Watkins Glen International.
The Trackhouse Racing driver’s dominant run put him alongside NASCAR greats Chase Elliott and Jeff Gordon as just the third driver to win four consecutive races on road or street courses.
Starting second behind Ryan Blaney, the Auckland-born racer seized the lead on Lap 25 of the 90-lap contest and never looked back. A well-timed final pit stop with 27 laps to go helped him regain the top spot by Lap 74, and from there he pulled away, crossing the finish line 11.116 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell. Chris Buescher finished third, followed by William Byron and Chase Briscoe.
The win is Shane van Gisbergen’s fifth in only 38 Cup Series starts, making him one of the most successful road course drivers on the grid, trailing only Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in active career wins on such circuits. The triumph also comes shortly after Trackhouse Racing signed him to a multiyear contract extension.
The largely incident-free race featured just three cautions. Chris Buescher won Stage 1, Ryan Blaney took Stage 2, and late-stage contact between John Hunter Nemechek, Erik Jones, and Ty Gibbs added drama to the playoff picture. Shane van Gisbergen now heads to Richmond Raceway on August 16, looking to extend his winning streak.