Why NASCAR field should be terrified of Shane van Gisbergen in 2026

Going into 2026, there's one NASCAR Cup Series driver the entire garage should be very wary of. 

It's not defending Cup Series champion Kyle Larson. It's not Denny Hamlin, who won six races in 2025. Nor is it William Byron, who has won consecutive Daytona 500s and been to the Championship 4 three years in a row. 

It's Auckland, New Zealand, native Shane van Gisbergen, a 36-year-old road course ace who could be much more than a one-trick pony in his sophomore season. 

Why Shane van Gisbergen could be special in 2026

Van Gisbergen's road course ability has been known since he won in his Cup Series debut at the Chicago Street Course in 2023. He coasted to the Cup Series Rookie of the Year award in 2025 on the back of five road course victories. 

While his apparent infallibility at road courses dominated the headlines, a very positive trend emerged throughout the season for SVG: his performance on ovals. 

Ovals, which make up the overwhelming majority of NASCAR's schedule, are still new to van Gisbergen. But he's proved to be a quick learner, scoring a top-10 finish at Kansas in September. 

In fact, it's easy to pinpoint exactly where van Gisbergen began to hit his stride on ovals in 2025. 

After 10 oval races, van Gisbergen's best oval result was a 20th-place run at Darlington on April 6. Over the final 20 oval races of the season, van Gisbergen had nine top-20 finishes, including five top-15 finishes and his 10th-place finish at Kansas. 

With a year of Cup Series experience under his belt, an upward trajectory on ovals and a full offseason of work behind him, there's a real chance that van Gisbergen could be a weekly top-15 contender at ovals. Combined with his road course acumen, that's a scary driver to have out there competing against the world's best. 

Van Gisbergen likely won't be a title contender in 2026, but if he's consistently competitive on ovals, it's not outlandish to say that he could one day be one before he decides to retire.