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WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK – AUGUST 09: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 09, 2025 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
NASCAR\u2019s revised Chase format is reshaping how drivers approach not just individual race wins, but also their entire season<\/a> strategy. In a conversation with PRNLive<\/a>, Shane van Gisbergen reflected on how the change, though difficult to embrace, was probably necessary.<\/p>\n He admitted that, during his recent stretch, winning had carried heavy importance. Still, he noted the updated system continues to reward those who excel each week.<\/p>\n Shane Van Gisbergen now sees the championship as a more pure contest built on consistency; he also expressed that his experience with oval tracks has broadened his mindset. Where he once struggled at the start of last season, he now believes his oval performance has made significant progress.<\/p>\n NASCAR Chase format change shifts focus from wins to consistency<\/p>\n Van Gisbergen did not criticize NASCAR\u2019s decision to update the Chase format, recognizing the sport\u2019s shift from a win-centric system<\/a>. Still, he acknowledged that this transition introduces new challenges to his own approach.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it kind of needed a change, but it\u2019s hard for me. The reason I\u2019m in the series is because of winning, right? But I feel like I\u2019ve gotten better at ovals to where I don\u2019t have to rely on it.\u201d<\/p>\n Wins still matter under the new NASCAR Chase format, although consistent finishes now carry even more weight. This change makes the top-16 cutoff not only more demanding, but also more meaningful.<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly going to be an achievement to make that top 16. But I think it\u2019s a good target for us, and something that is achievable.\u201d<\/p>\n Van Gisbergen said the revised system favors drivers who win regularly. He noted those drivers were among the strongest supporters of change. From his perspective, the format feels closer to a traditional championship.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it rewards those top guys now that are always winning, and they were the guys calling for it. For me, that\u2019s more of a pure racing championship, so probably a good thing in there.\u201d<\/p>\n Shane van Gisbergen\u2019s oval improvement boosts playoff confidence<\/p>\n Building on this improved system, Van Gisbergen feels increasingly comfortable entering the playoffs, thanks to his progress on ovals. When asked about his confidence this season, he emphasized that experience is a crucial factor, extending his assurance beyond just road courses.<\/p>\n \u201cI think so, just the knowledge. I\u2019m going all these places for the second, third, fourth time, and I felt so much more comfortable at the end of last year.\u201d<\/p>\n As a result, his reliance on road-course wins has lessened, while his margin for success has broadened across the schedule. With preparation and understanding replacing uncertainty, tracks that once felt overwhelming are now more manageable.<\/p>\n Slow start last season highlights the importance of early results<\/p>\n Reflecting on the previous season further illustrates the importance of early momentum. Van Gisbergen described how his team overcame a poor position midway through the year to re-enter contention.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I read that we would have been near the top 16 or right in there, and we were 35th or 58th or something in points halfway through the year. We had a really bad start to the year and still made it, so maybe we can do the same this year.\u201d<\/p>\n This season presents a smaller margin for error. Given the new NASCAR Chase format, early mistakes are costly and difficult to recover from. Van Gisbergen emphasized the importance of starting strong after last year\u2019s early struggles.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019d be really cool to start a lot stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n As NASCAR sharpens its focus on consistency, expectations intensify. Shane Van Gisbergen charges into the season, more confident, armed with better oval skills, and eager to seize the moment. The mission: strike fast, strike often, and make every result count.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tDogli Wilberforce<\/a> is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on NASCAR\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK – AUGUST 09: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, looks…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":189491,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-430529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}