Shane van Gisbergen made the entire NASCAR world sit up and take notice in July 2023. Driving the No. 91 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing’s Project91 initiative, the Kiwi driver stunned everyone by winning the inaugural Chicago Street Race in his very first Cup Series start. A road course ringer from Supercars, he sliced through the field like a veteran, taking the lead on Lap 71 and holding off seasoned competitors in NASCAR Overtime.
It was electric. No driver had done that since 1963, and van Gisbergen was suddenly the name on every fan’s lips. He couldn’t believe it either. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s an amazing feeling,” he said after the win. NASCAR’s international spotlight lit up. The buzz around SVG was real. His move to full-time NASCAR competition in 2025 with Trackhouse Racing was welcomed with high hopes.
Fans imagined more street race magic, strong road course showings, and maybe even some surprising oval success. But less than two years later, the vibe has changed—drastically. After a full-time move to the Cup Series in 2025 with Trackhouse Racing, van Gisbergen has gone from being the sport’s newest star to a weekly backmarker. After his latest struggles at Bristol, fans have started to turn on him and his team. The “SVG experiment” is now under fire.
Shane van Gisbergen fails to impress NASCAR fans!
Last week at Darlington, SVG finally showed signs of life. He finished 20th, his best oval result this season. For a moment, it looked like he and the No. 88 team had turned a corner. The car handled better in the long runs, and van Gisbergen even said, “To get a top-20 after the runs we’ve been having is a great starting point.”
But that progress came to a halt at Bristol. Van Gisbergen qualified 36th on the grid, but as soon as the green flag dropped, he found himself dead last at 39th. To make matters worse, he spun around and crashed into the wall on Lap 178. In the end, he had a DNF and finished 38th again. It was a crushing blow that quickly unraveled any momentum he’d gained. What followed was a wave of backlash from fans, media, and critics. The SVG experiment, once a feel-good story, had become a lightning rod for frustration.
One fan wrote bluntly, “How much longer is the SVG experiment?” The numbers back the frustration. Through seven starts this season, SVG holds an average finish of 26.63. Only Cole Custer and Cody Ware have worse averages. His average qualifying position is among the worst in the series. Most weeks, he starts at the back and finishes near it. Even in his one strength—road courses—he’s underdelivered. His best result was sixth at COTA, where many expected him to win.
Some big gains for Ross in Stage 2️⃣. pic.twitter.com/eaWCO3iMFG
— Trackhouse Racing (@TeamTrackhouse) April 13, 2025
This is a developing story.
The post NASCAR Fans Publicly Trash Trackhouse Racing’s “SVG Experiment” Amidst Bristol Frustrations appeared first on EssentiallySports.