SVG Has No Competition on Road Course Races

Hey NASCAR Fans,

Shane van Gisbergen might just be the best road racer NASCAR has ever seen. At Watkins Glen, the Kiwi driver pulled off an insane comeback, which was indeed the highlight of the day. However, there were instances and events that the broadcast partners missed, and we will shed light on them in this edition.

Trackhouse Racing and its struggles have been well-documented throughout the 2026 season. Connor Zilisch hasn’t been able to hit the ground, Ross Chastain is still searching for speed, and SVG was waiting for a road course return. A runner-up finish at COTA was their best result, but come Watkins Glen, SVG had a chance to get the team on track. And once again, he came up with the goods. 

Giving up the race lead with 24 laps to go, he had to overcome a 30-second deficit over Ty Gibbs. On paper, it looked like an impossible task, but for SVG, this was another challenge. Connor Zilisch was the first one to bow out on Lap 92, and then SVG made a quick work of the No. 54 car. It was as if he was gliding through the corners, making speed that nobody else on the track could. Watch SVG’s insane charge through the field and clinch 7th Cup win. 

Fun fact: this was the first time Shane van Gisbergen won a Cup race in the No. 97 car. This is the same car number he used to run with in the Supercars Series. Although we expected the Kiwi driver to put on a clinic, he wasn’t sure that the late pitting was necessarily going to work out for him. “I wasn’t sure how it was going to work. And then to run them down like that, very, very special to do two in a row. But it’s not easy. Everyone’s really good. There was a lot of pressure there.” 

But, in the end, SVG walked home with another race win, and this also allowed him to break inside the Top 16 in points standings. 

Go Bowling at Glen was a pretty clean race without any major crashes or payback. At least that is what we thought, as the broadcast was focused on leaders. But some drivers were losing their cool on the track, and it exploded after the race. Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell exchanged words on the pit road, and the situation was tense between the two drivers. 

As it turns out, Wallace was instructed to hit the pit road with 8 to go. However, Bell didn’t give his Toyota teammate any room and put his bumper on the exit of the track where Bubba wanted to roll down to the pit road. Check out this in-car camera footage, which explains the situation. 

Wallace’s spotter, Fredie Kraft, was quick to shut down rumors about a potential rift, but neither of the two drivers backed off after the race. Bell finished 21st, whereas Bubba had to settle for 29th, and that’s another reason for their frustration. 

This weekend’s prediction challenge was a close one. Just a couple of points separate the podium winners, but there can be only one winner.

This week’s ultimate bragging rights go to: Kevin!

You take home a $25 Amazon gift card, while other notable finishers also get a spot on our weekly leaderboard.

Next up on the prediction challenge will be the All-Star race at Dover.

Sunday’s Results: 77% of you agreed that Go Bowling at Glen was a good race — Click here to read what you and other fans thought about it.

* The race for the regular-season title remains unchanged as Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Elliott lead the way. 

* But the real changes happened around the bubble. SVG picked up three spots with the win and is now placed 16th in the standings. 

* Meanwhile, Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, and Ross Chastain all three dropped their positions. 

* Check out the complete points standings here.

We’ve heard about the debris caution in NASCAR, but those have reduced a lot in the modern era. But at Watkins Glen, it returned in an expected way, and none of the drivers nor the spectators were behind the caution.

Super Bowl Conflict Leaves NASCAR With Tough Daytona Choice →

NASCAR's Urged to Axe FOX After Broadcast Blunders →

What Drivers Were Saying After Watkins Glen Race →

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