Shane van Gisbergen has won three straight NASCAR Cup Series races on road courses, including last Sunday in Sonoma, and is starting to annoy his competitors
Joey Logano has made his feelings clear(Image: Getty Images)
Shane van Gisbergen is starting to ruffle some feathers among NASCAR drivers.
That’s not due to any prickly aspects of his character, but because of his recent string of victories on Cup Series road courses. The Kiwi racer’s triumph last Sunday at Sonoma marked his third straight road course victory, following wins in Mexico City and Chicago. He’s also won two Cup Series races in two weeks. Meanwhile, NASCAR has fired back at Bubba Wallace amid 23XI Racing’s ongoing lawsuit.
Joey Logano, a three-time Cup Series champion who isn’t particularly renowned for his road racing skills, made a cheeky remark about Van Gisbergen on the latest ‘NASCAR Live’ podcast.
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“He’s starting to piss me off a little bit,” he said. “He is freaking fast. He’s got so much speed on these road courses, it’s incredible.”
Before the Chicago street race, Logano added about van Gisbergen: “We’re not road racers to speak of. There’s only one out there that really is, and so all of us are, in a way, playing catch-up.”
Van Gisbergen acknowledged the sentiment: “I can just flip what he says, and that’s what I feel on ovals.
Shane van Gisbergen celebrates his victory in Sonoma(Image: Getty Images)
“These guys have been doing left-handers since they were 10 years old. They’re two completely different sports, and although there has been road racing in NASCAR forever, it’s not that much.
“Just the experience levels are different in what we do… And I feel like they’ve definitely gotten a lot better since the first one on this track, for sure.”
Van Gisbergen is currently tied with Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Denny Hamlin for the most wins in 2025. His latest triumph marked him as the fastest to secure four Cup Series victories since 1967.
The New Zealander dominated the Sonoma race, leading for 97 out of 110 laps. Chase Briscoe, who finished second, was full of admiration for the winner.
“The only opportunity I had was on the restarts,” Briscoe said after the race. “I never played basketball against Michael Jordan in his prime, but I feel like that’s probably what it was like. That guy is unbelievable on road courses. He’s just so good. He’s really raised the bar on this entire series.”
Speaking after his win at Sonoma, Van Gisbergen said: “We had an amazing car.
“Chase Briscoe, what a great racer and gave me respect. Jumped the last (restart) a little bit, and it was pretty tense, but amazing. So stoked for Red Bull, Trackhouse, Chevy. I believe we had a really fun weekend here, some great races, and I hope everyone enjoyed that.”
Van Gisbergen added: “I’ve really enjoyed my time in NASCAR. Thanks, everyone, for making me feel so welcome. I hope I’m here for a long time to come.”