Shane van Gisbergen not backing down from pressure of first playoff run

It would’ve been completely understandable if Shane van Gisbergen exited Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff opener at Kansas below the Round of 12 cut line. 

The 35-year-old Xfinity Series rookie had never turned a lap at the 1.5 mile Kansas Speedway before Saturday’s Xfinity Series practice session, and in his first ever NASCAR playoff race, he’d have to take the green flag from the 22nd position on the grid. 

Despite a Chevrolet Camaro that clearly wasn’t cooperating with him at his disposal and every excuse available to him if he finished poorly, van Gisbergen forged on to an eighth-place finish. The best news? The No. 97 team is now eight points above the playoff cut line as the circuit heads to Talladega on Saturday. 

Van Gisbergen will undoubtedly be a favorite in the Round of 12 cut off race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, but his first playoff run would be even more impressive if he was able to make the next round without the aid of a walk-off victory. 

Making the Round of 8 by any means would be impressive for the Auckland, New Zealand native, but van Gisbergen’s road-course acumen is a known quantity in the garage area already. While winning at Charlotte would be impressive, it wouldn’t tell the NASCAR world anything more than it already knows. 

If van Gisbergen were to bring home another top-10 finish at Talladega, however, it would show even the most skeptical of his doubters that he can be a threat on ovals, a track type that van Gisbergen is quick to admit he struggles at. 

As the Supercars legend begins to see NASCAR’s tracks for the second time, his ability to learn on the fly will further be brought to light. There’s not much van Gisbergen can’t do in a race car, and another big showing at Talladega would only bolster his standing as a potential championship threat.