Shane van Gisbergen’s recent NASCAR Cup Series results have sparked growing excitement at Trackhouse Racing, but Kevin Harvick believes there is more to the story. The Trackhouse Racing driver recorded a career-best fifth-place finish at Nashville Superspeedway before following it with an 11th-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Those performances gave Shane van Gisbergen one of the best average finishes among NASCAR Cup Series drivers over the last three oval races. As the NASCAR playoffs draw closer, the strong run has fueled optimism that the New Zealander is becoming a serious contender on ovals.
However, Harvick says the recent results may not fully reflect the team’s progress. According to the former NASCAR Cup Series champion, weather-related circumstances helped Shane van Gisbergen secure valuable track position and exposed an area where the Trackhouse Racing driver still needs improvement.
Kevin Harvick Questions Shane van Gisbergen’s NASCAR Improvement
Speaking on his Happy Hour podcast, Kevin Harvick said Shane van Gisbergen’s recent NASCAR success came with an important caveat.
“But it’s artificial. It’s somewhat artificial. They race well, but you can’t do that unless you qualify.”
The issue centered on NASCAR qualifying. Rain washed out qualifying sessions at both Nashville Superspeedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, giving Shane van Gisbergen favorable starting positions. He started 10th at Nashville and third at Charlotte.
Harvick believes those positions played a major role in the strong finishes.
“I think a lot of this stems from the fact that qualifying has been rained out, and it’s given them track position to start up in front of the race. To me, it exposed a problem that they have with qualifying… If they can get the 97 car to qualify well, he can race up there. I mean, they have the ability to run in the top five/top ten on the ovals just like they did the last couple of weeks.”
The comments highlighted a lingering challenge for Shane van Gisbergen that NASCAR fans have watched throughout his transition from Supercars to stock car racing.
Shane van Gisbergen Continues to Make Progress in NASCAR Cup Series Racing
Despite Harvick’s concerns, Shane van Gisbergen has shown clear improvement during races. Earlier in the season, the NASCAR driver often started deep in the field when qualifying sessions were completed as scheduled.
At Talladega, Shane van Gisbergen started 33rd and finished 20th. At Texas Motor Speedway, he started 30th and climbed to 17th.
Those results suggest the Trackhouse Racing driver has developed a stronger race pace even when starting near the back. The next step is translating that speed into better NASCAR qualifying performances.
After his strong run at Nashville Superspeedway, Shane van Gisbergen spoke about the team’s recent momentum.
“We had a bad couple of months, and a few weeks ago, it felt like it’s turned around. It’s a real momentum- and confidence-based sport as well. We just need to keep that and lift our teammates up with us. If we’re all running well, it will really help the team.”
The recent performances gave Shane van Gisbergen his fourth top-10 finish of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season and strengthened hopes of continued progress before the NASCAR playoffs.
Trackhouse Racing Backs Shane van Gisbergen’s NASCAR Future
Trackhouse Racing remains confident in Shane van Gisbergen’s long-term future despite the ongoing NASCAR qualifying concerns.
Team owner Justin Marks recently signed Shane van Gisbergen to a multi-year extension, citing his rapid oval development as a key reason for the commitment.
“We have someone here that can win anytime we show up at road courses, and winning is so important here in the Cup Series. What kind of excites us at Trackhouse more than anything is his speed of development on the Ovals… We feel excited and comfortable to make a longer-term commitment to Shane. We think he’s got an oval win in him in the Cup Series.”
Shane van Gisbergen’s NASCAR journey has always been expected to take time. His stunning victory in the 2023 Chicago Street Course race showed his talent immediately, but NASCAR oval racing requires a different set of skills that often takes years to master.
With the NASCAR playoffs approaching, Shane van Gisbergen and Trackhouse Racing now face a crucial test. The race-day speed is becoming increasingly clear. The next challenge is proving that Shane van Gisbergen can earn those front-running starting spots through NASCAR qualifying and turn his recent momentum into consistent NASCAR Cup Series success.
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