Shane van Gisbergen delivered a masterful performance at Watkins Glen on Sunday, charging through the field to claim his seventh career NASCAR Cup Series win and the first of the 2026 season for Trackhouse Racing.
After falling nearly 30 seconds behind the leader following the final round of pit stops, van Gisbergen mounted an incredible comeback over the course of 18 laps. He erased a deficit of 29.2 seconds, overtook Ty Gibbs, and seized the lead with seven laps remaining. It was a display of pure pace and strategy that left the competition in awe.
“It’s amazing to win with the #97,” said van Gisbergen, known to fans as SVG. “Yeah, this Chevrolet SuperFile was fantastic. Thanks to Trackhouse. Practice wasn’t great, but qualifying was incredible. We made the right adjustments, and today—what a race car!”
He credited his crew chief, Stephen Doran, for making decisive calls under pressure. “Stephen made some great calls. I wasn’t sure how it would work out. Then passing them—it’s really, really special to get back-to-back wins.”
Van Gisbergen later added, “It’s not easy. Everyone out here is really good. There was a lot of pressure. McDowell was fast, Connor [Zilisch] was fast, Tyler Reddick too. So many good drivers and so much pressure. I’m just pumped for these guys—they executed every part of our game. Unbelievable. This is so cool.”
Michael McDowell finished second, followed by Ty Gibbs in third. Chase Briscoe took fourth, and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top five. The remainder of the top 10 included Austin Dillon, AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric, and John-Hunter Nemechek.
Van Gisbergen’s victory marks a significant milestone for Trackhouse Racing, which has been building momentum all season. The New Zealander’s ability to carve through the pack on the road course highlights the team’s growing strength in the Cup Series.
The race featured intense battles throughout the field, with several drivers making late charges. Van Gisbergen’s win was particularly impressive given that he started outside the top 10 and had to navigate traffic and tire management.
The Watkins Glen triumph reinforces van Gisbergen’s reputation as a road course specialist, but it also demonstrates his adaptability to the high-downforce, high-speed demands of the NASCAR Cup Series. With this win, he moves up the points standings and becomes a serious contender for the playoffs.