Shane van Gisbergen may be the ace of NASCAR\u2019s road courses, but his success rests just as much on the man atop the pit box. Crew chief Stephan Doran has played an equal hand in SVG\u2019s four road course victories this season, and together the pair now turns its focus to Gateway for the second playoff race.<\/p>\n
Before heading there, Doran recently appeared on Chris Weaver\u2019s talk show<\/a><\/strong> to retrace his NASCAR journey. A Butler, Pennsylvania native, he grew up steeped in dirt racing.<\/p>\n He narrated that his father\u2019s side of the family campaigned dirt modifieds, and by the time he was 10, Doran was already turning wrenches at the track.<\/p>\n By 16, Doran was working for a race team in Ohio, hauling rigs, mounting tires, and changing oil for small local outfits. From ages 18 to 21, Doran moved into dirt sprint cars before heading south to North Carolina.<\/p>\n His first NASCAR stop came in 2006 at Petty Enterprises, where he got the rare chance to work in Richard Petty\u2019s old shop. Soon after, he landed at Stewart-Haas Racing as an engineer on Kevin Harvick\u2019s No. 4 car.<\/p>\n Doran\u2019s first full season as a Cup Series crew chief came with Zane Smith and Spire Motorsports\u2019 No. 71 Chevrolet. That role paved the way to Trackhouse Racing<\/a><\/strong>, where he now oversees SVG\u2019s rise. While SVG\u2019s road course skills are unquestioned, Doran has zeroed in on helping him master the ovals.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve gotten a ton better,\u201d he said in an August appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR, noting his driver\u2019s growing confidence and racecraft. And the improvement is visible.<\/p>\n