Shane van Gisbergen’s road course dominance in 2025 rolled on at Watkins Glen, where the New Zealander claimed his fourth NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season, by leading 54% of all laps en route to a decisive 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell. Starting second on the grid after Ryan Blaney edged him for the pole by just 0.033 seconds, SVG bucked his recent pattern, his previous three wins this year all came from pole position, and still found victory lane. The Trackhouse Racing driver showcased not only speed but race craft, working from 12th to the lead in the final stage after pitting later than his rivals, cycling back ahead with William Byron in tow. “The battle coming back through, I had a lot of fun and thank you to WeatherTech Trackhouse. Car was just amazing again and to get another win,” he told NBC, reflecting on a charge that frustrated challengers and burned the tires of his closest competition.
The race carried added emotion with SVG’s father traveling 8000 miles to celebrate this win with him. “Coming in, but maybe the most important hug of all is coming up right after Steven Doran—his dad Robert,” the broadcast intoned, noting his father’s presence for the first time since Christmas. “It’s been a very tough, tough year for dad… so having him here for the next three weeks and share this with him, it’s amazing,” SVG said, the victory clearly more personal. The win also marks his first Watkins Glen after coming close in 2024, and in doing so, he has exorcised the ghosts of last year’s defeat to Buescher. This year, Buescher never got the chance to pressure him; Bell took second late, leaving Buescher to settle for third as Byron faded to fourth. “No, but that’s the stuff you dream about, right? I’m just a very lucky guy to get to drive for an amazing bunch of people and just execute,” SVG said, when asked if he could have imagined four Cup Series wins and a new Trackhouse contract extension recently.
SVG’s resume now reads like a checklist of road-course mastery: wins at Mexico City, Chicago Street Course, Sonoma, and now Watkins Glen, each one blending raw pace with strategic patience. “What an awesome race. The last thing was a bit we cleared out, but the battle came back through… and I definitely gave that bus stop wall another meter on that last lap,” he joked, nodding to the Glen’s famous chicane. With this, SVG has left no doubt: his road-course reign isn’t slowing down, and the rest of the Cup field will need to mount a “proper crack” if they want to stop him.
His road-course reign continues!@shanevg97 wins at @WGI! pic.twitter.com/6NX45UixGH
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 10, 2025
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