{"id":36457,"date":"2025-08-01T03:01:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T03:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/36457\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T03:01:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T03:01:10","slug":"nascar-news-shane-van-gisbergen-records-first-ever-oval-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/36457\/","title":{"rendered":"NASCAR news: Shane Van Gisbergen records first ever oval win"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShane van Gisbergen won at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a Legends Car as part of the Cook Out Summer Shootout.<\/p>\n

Van Gisbergen has been competing on and off in the Legend Cars with compatriot Scott McLaughlin and fellow NASCAR Cup Series racer Bubba Wallace.<\/p>\n

At Charlotte Motor Speedway, the #97 driver beat Jake Bollman in the Pro Legends A Feature.<\/p>\n

Just 0.417s separated them at the chequered flag after 25 laps. McLaughlin finished ninth, 6.662s in arrears. Wallace was classified 20th and five laps down.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the night, van Gisbergen qualified third behind Bollman and Tyler Reif.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was fun,\u201d van Gisbergen told Legends Nation post-race.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was one of the cleanest races up the front that I\u2019ve seen. I really enjoyed it. Had some good battles. Great racing with the #71. I think he won the championship too, so congrats to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe raced clean, and then at the end, he had the opportunity to move me and he didn\u2019t. I had a lot of fun \u2014 my first oval win.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a two-pronged approach for SVG in the Legends Cars. It\u2019s part fun and part learning with the Kiwi using the series as a way to get comfortable with close-quarters oval racing.<\/p>\n

Asked whether the program had helped him on ovals, van Gisbergen replied: \u201cIt hasn\u2019t hurt it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just been fun,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI obviously learned some skills and Joe Ryan and his team, they\u2019re great teachers. It\u2019s just time turning left for me, it\u2019s what I need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Gisbergen expects Round 10 of the Summer Cookout to be his last appearance in the Legend Cars but expects to be back in a year\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWinter here sucks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be back in New Zealand where it\u2019ll be summer. Next year, we\u2019ll probably come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

S! V! G!<\/p>\n

His first victory on an American oval, @shanevg97<\/a> wins the 2025 #SummerShootout<\/a> @USLegendCars<\/a> Pro finale at @CLTMotorSpdwy<\/a>! pic.twitter.com\/sqvfWhH5z9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 FloRacing (@FloRacing) July 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Off the back of winning the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Bubba Wallace said van Gisbergen and McLaughlin had taken to the cars like ducks to water.<\/p>\n

The Kiwi duo have been stars of a series of YouTube videos filmed by Wallace.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helped SVG this weekend. The son of a bitch qualified 11th on oval. He\u2019s figuring it out,\u201d Wallace joked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always loved Legend car racing. Myself and that series \u2014 I don\u2019t know if any of you guys were around for those times, but we had a lot of bad days there, but a lot of good days.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always thought Legend car racing was the most beneficial car that I learned how to drive. I always went back to Legend car racing to figure out the next steps in racing.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I ran last year, things were meh, okay, but Scotty and SVG came out one weekend. They fell in love with it. They were like how much does it cost? We want to do this next year. So they put it all together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWeek 1, Scotty just rips the roof right off this thing. They have had so much fun. You couldn\u2019t wipe the smile off Scotty\u2019s face each and every time he got in a Legend car.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so different for him. He loves beating and banging with the other guys. It\u2019s so funny now, like I used to be the guy always in fights, always bumping into other people, pissed off, racing each other hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to escape the real job. Like we go out there and have fun. Man, I wish you all could see their faces every time they get out of the car.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that they\u2019re starting to figure it out, they\u2019re getting a little bit that they can\u2019t go faster. That\u2019s the competitive nature. It\u2019s been a blast. I\u2019ve really enjoyed running with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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