SVG Hopes Short-Track Gains Keep His Chase Push Going

Shane van Gisbergen in action Friday at Richmond Raceway. (Matthew Thacker/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

By Justin Glenn, SWN Staff Writer

RICHMOND, Va. (Aug. 14, 2026) – The sky might truly be the limit for Shane van Gisbergen and his development towards becoming an all-around NASCAR Cup Series force. 

This summer it’s been about oval improvement, with gains made on short circuits. With that, he is looking to stay above the Chase cut line Saturday night at Richmond Raceway.

The 37-year old will have his work cut out to begin, however, as he will start 31st in the Cook Out 400. But a twist in the new postseason format is about consistency and scoring points, weeding out August ‘Hail Mary’ style playoff berths that traditionally occur in the late summer. 

With three races to go, urgency to perform and stay above the cut remains. 

“It’s probably a good thing for the sport. I was brought over here for that ‘win and you’re in’ to guarantee a spot in the playoffs,” van Gisbergen told Steering Wheel Nation Friday, during his media availability. “I certainly knew I had to get better at ovals, and I think we’ve done that. I don't think my mindset has changed every race. 

“These couple of races, I’m points racing a little bit, but the rest of the year, you’re just driving flat out. I don't think I’ve ever really points raced trying to stay out of trouble,” he said. “I think that when you’re not driving naturally, you find yourself in trouble. I just try and drive every race flat out.”

Currently, the two-year Cup racer sits 15th in the standings, 47 points above the cut line. He’s not guaranteed a Chase spot by any measure, but 2026 is a massive improvement over his first full-time year, where he stocked road course wins and didn’t execute finishes on most ovals or lost points elsewhere. 

His average finishing position from last year to now has jumped from 21st to 17th place. 

It’s made for a tough out on the bubble, proving naysayers wrong who once assumed or still assume that he would sink immediately after the final road race of Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway on June 28. 

“The last third of last year, we really took some steps forward, and I think we’ve just continued on that. I feel like I’m a lot closer to [Trackhouse Racing teammate] Ross [Chastain] this year,” said van Gisbergen. “He’s a pretty good benchmark and I’ve been able to match him a lot. Still some areas he’s really good at. He’s good at not having bad days and dragging results out of cars that probably shouldn't be up there.”

While he feels he’s narrowing the gap, van Gisbergen said he’s still learning from Chastain. ‘SVG’ explained how it felt good to be around the organization’s lead veteran driver in points, push each other competitively to be better, and still simultaneously learn. 

In the five short circuits so far, van Gisbergen has two 11th place finishes, headlined by a statement top-five result at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway on July 19 where he led the most laps he’s ever paced on an oval track in the Cup Series. 

He credited his short track prowess towards the style of racing being more hands-on and driver influenced. Tire management and braking is an area van Gisbergen thrives in, which also reigns in his road course success. 

“You can have a little more influence on the car, you can manipulate it with the brake or brake bias and whatever gear you're running. You can vary your line a little more,” he said of the skillset. “There’s a little more as a driver you can do. But also, that just means on the big tracks, I’m not good enough to know what I want from the car yet or how to get the car to do what I want, whether that’s with feedback to my engineer or just in general.

“[Short tracks], you can kind of make up for a deficiency in the car. On a big track, you’re kind of just stuck with what you got sometimes. So yeah, it seems to help me.”

That element of his game translated into his Craftsman Truck Series Richmond start for Spire Motorsports. He won his first Truck Series and NASCAR national oval pole Friday afternoon in qualifying after laying down a quick 23.168-second (116.540 mph) lap. 

He will start first in that race on FS2, Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. Then, those notes will be utilized to improve on the Cup side, where he finished 14th in the Commonwealth last season. 

In regards to his Chase cut line watch, van Gisbergen will look to hold off RFK duo Brad Keselowski and Ryan Preece, the Toyota-backed Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones and Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain. All four competitors will start ahead of ‘SVG’, with three inside the top 18.

“I was having a pretty sub-par day [at Iowa Speedway], to put it nicely, and all the guys around me were points racing guys or guys close to me in the points. I can’t afford to have another day like that,” said van Gisbergen, after he finished 30th three laps down last week. “You have your eyes on those guys who are around us. It’s a pretty tight battle.

“Ross had a good day last week, and he’s sort of clawing his way back into it, so it’s going to be an interesting battle. We just need to not make mistakes for the next three weeks.”

Coverage of the Cook Out 400 from Richmond is slated for Saturday night, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. ET on USA, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.