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Shane Van Gisbergen Details ‘Wild’ Reality of Driving NASCAR Ovals

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Gowtham Ramalingam | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 3:31 AM ET

After nearly two full seasons of practice, Shane van Gisbergen is finally beginning to figure his way around the ovals in NASCAR. In the late September race at Kansas, he secured his first top-10 of the season on an oval track, finishing in 10th place. In Las Vegas last Sunday, he was one of the race leaders for a long time before a tragedy forced him to a DNF.

During this slow but definite progress, the Kiwi cannot shake how absolutely dangerous and exciting oval racing is. Eric Johnson Jr. of the ARCA Menards Series had recently expressed his admiration for how van Gisbergen "ripped the fence" at Vegas on X. The driver responded with an honest admission of his thoughts about the driving technique.

He wrote, "Still one of the craziest parts of oval racing to me. Send it in at 310kph/190mph, missing apex on purpose, heading to the wall, hoping an imaginary grip strip/air pocket is going to save you from hitting it, then hearing the exhaust echo on the wall as it holds you off it. Wild "

Still one of the craziest parts of oval racing to me. Send it in at 310kph/190mph, missing apex on purpose, heading to the wall hoping an imaginary grip strip/air pocket is going to save you from hitting it, then hearing the exhaust echo on the wall as it holds you off it. Wild https://t.co/CYDdXBfiL9
— Shane van Gisbergen (@shanevg97) October 15, 2025

When ripping the fence, a driver rides dangerously close to the outside wall of the race track. A bubble of packed air is created between the car and the wall when they do so, and this bubble creates an aerodynamic effect that produces more side force. This force acts as a cushion that allows the driver to have more control and carry more speed through turns.

It goes without saying that this technique is a tough one to master. The fact that van Gisbergen is getting adept at it showcases the hard work that he has been putting into the process.

Talladega Presents van Gisbergen a Big Challenge

The Talladega Superspeedway is unlike any other oval in the Cup Series schedule. It is a high-speed drafting track that requires a distinct level of skill to tame. It is also the biggest oval track in the game and doesn't have a particular line that drivers prefer.

van Gisbergen himself acknowledged in a team advance this week, "It's crazy and very different than a traditional oval. We are doing 320 kilometers in a pack of 40 cars. It's amazing how fast we are going, all squeezed together. Talladega is one of the most difficult races that we do."

NASCAR Cup Series driver Shane van Gisbergen (88) leads the field during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.Mike Watters-Imagn Images

He aims to continue his good work and secure a positive result at Dega this Sunday. His best finish at the track in the Cup Series came with Kaulig Racing last year when he finished in 15th place. Notably, he already has his competitors worried about his rising expertise on ovals.

A good result this weekend would go a long way in building his image as a powerful 2026 championship contender.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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