Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe believes the NASCAR Cup Series field has caught up to Shane van Gisbergen on road courses, at least a little bit.
Van Gisbergen, a seven-time road course winner at the Cup level, won at Watkins Glen on May 10 but was shut out of victory lane at COTA, where he finished runner-up to Tyler Reddick, and Naval Base Coronado, where he finished 38th after being collected in a crash while racing for the lead on a restart.
The Cup Series will race at another road course in Sonoma on Sunday, where van Gisbergen won a year ago, beating Briscoe to the checkered flag after leading 97 of 110 laps.
Has field caught up to SVG?
“The hard part is, like last year at Sonoma, I don’t think we ever really saw what he had,” Briscoe told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday. “But I do think the field has caught up, just because he’s raised the bar. He’s made all of us have to go get better. I definitely think we’re closer than we’re ever been. But I also think it depends on the racetrack.”
A win at Sonoma on Sunday would certainly come in handy for van Gisbergen, who enters the 18th race of the 2026 season 17th in the standings, five points below the Chase cut line.
“I definitely think we’re getting closer,” Briscoe said, “But we still got a ways to go.”