Shane van Gisbergen continues to be a force on road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series.
In what might be his most impressive performance to date, the driver of the No. 97 overcame a 29-second deficit on the last run of the race to take the checkered flag in Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen.
It was van Gisbergen’s second win at Watkins Glen, first win of 2026, and seventh career Cup win overall. The win ties SVG with Chase Elliott for the most road course wins among active Cup Series drivers.
Michael McDowell finished second, followed by Ty Gibbs in third, Chase Briscoe fourth, and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top five.
How Shane van Gisbergen overcame deficit to win at Watkins Glen
With 25 laps to go, van Gisbergen made his final pit stop of the race. When the Trackhouse Racing driver emerged back on the racetrack, he was in 26th position, 29 seconds behind the leader.
In a miraculous drive back to the front, SVG regained the lead in 18 laps, passing Gibbs with seven circuits remaining, and wound up having a 7-second advantage over McDowell when he took the checkered flag.
It was not SVG’s first win with Trackhouse Racing, but his first behind the wheel of the No. 97 car in the Cup Series.
During his post-race interview with FOX Sports, the New Zealand native reflected on an incredible drive back to the front.
“Unbelievable to win with 97. Super fast Chevy. It was great. Thank you to Trackhouse. We weren’t very good in practice and then qualifying was amazing. Good tweaks, and then today, what a racecar. [Crew chief Stephen Doran] made great calls. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work. Then, to run them down like that, very, very special to do two in a row,” van Gisbergen said.
The win bumped SVG back into The Chase contention as he sits 16th in the points standings, six points above the cut line.
Troubles for Hendrick Motorsports, Joey Logano at The Glen
It was not a great day for Hendrick Motorsports or Team Penske driver Joey Logano at Watkins Glen.
None of the HMS cars finished inside the top 20 on Sunday. Kyle Larson placed 23rd, followed by Chase Elliott in 24th, Alex Bowman in 25th, and William Byron in 36th. Byron spun out in the bus stop late in stage two, suffering damage that put him multiple laps down.
It marked the first time since Sonoma 2005 that a HMS car did not place inside the top 20 on a road course.
Logano, meanwhile, had a tire issue in the final stage. The incident put the driver of the No. 22 multiple laps down and resulted in a last-place finish of 36th. Logano has finished 30th or worse in the last four Cup Series races.
Tyler Reddick maintains points lead after The Glen
After 12 races in 2026, Tyler Reddick continues to lead the NASCAR Cup Series points standings.
Reddick has a 129-point lead over Denny Hamlin, who sits in second. Third is Chase Elliott (-145), fourth is Ryan Blaney (-162), and fifth is Chris Buescher (-192).
The NASCAR Cup Series circuit heads to the Dover Motor Speedway next Sunday for the All-Star Race. Starting at 1 p.m. Eastern time, the race can be watched on FS1 or listened to on the Motor Racing Network.
Shane van Gisbergen Rolls to NASCAR Cup Series Victory at Watkins Glen