Shane van Gisbergen secured his fourth NASCAR Cup Series road course victory of the season, dominating Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International.
The New Zealand native led for 38 of the 90 laps, crossing the finish line 11.116 seconds ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell.
The victory marks a significant milestone for van Gisbergen, a former Australian SuperCars champion who is in his first full-time Cup Series season. He is now tied with racing legend Dan Gurney for the most career wins on road courses for a rookie. The win comes just after Trackhouse Racing announced a multi-year contract extension for the 36-year-old driver.
“It’s the stuff you dream about, right?” van Gisbergen said, reflecting on his successful weekend. “I’m just a very lucky guy to get to drive for an amazing bunch of people and just execute. The day just went flawlessly, and I really enjoyed it.”
Van Gisbergen’s four wins this season — at Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma and now Watkins Glen — tie him with Denny Hamlin for the most victories this year. His consistent performance on road courses has made him a formidable competitor, with other drivers often measuring their success by how close they can get to him.
Bell, who finished second after passing Chris Buescher on the final lap, acknowledged van Gisbergen’s dominance. “I’m thrilled because we’ve been struggling a little bit to find our rhythm,” Bell said. “Really awesome to have a good day, but frustrated to get our butts kicked by the No. 88 car doing such a great job. That team has really got it going on.”
Buescher, who won this race last year, finished third and collected 10 stage points for winning the first stage. He currently holds the final spot in the 16-driver playoff field, 34 points ahead of his RFK Racing teammate, Ryan Preece.
With only two regular-season races remaining, the playoff picture is becoming clearer. William Byron finished fourth, extending his regular season championship lead to 42 points over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott, who finished 26th.
The remaining top-10 finishers included Chase Briscoe in fifth, Ryan Blaney in sixth, Daniel Suarez in seventh, Bubba Wallace in eighth, Tyler Reddick in ninth, and Ross Chastain rounding out the Top 10.
Thirteen drivers have already secured a playoff spot with a win. Reddick, Alex Bowman and Buescher currently hold the remaining three spots on points. Preece and Kyle Busch are just below the cutoff line and will be looking for a win in the final two races at Richmond and Daytona to secure their place in the playoffs.
The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Richmond Raceway for the Cook Out 400 on Saturday night.
Go Bowling at The Glen
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Sunday, August 10, 2025
- (2) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 90 laps.
- (9) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 90.
- (12) Chris Buescher, Ford, 90.
- (10) William Byron, Chevrolet, 90.
- (3) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 90.
- (1) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 90.
- (19) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 90.
- (15) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 90.
- (21) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 90.
- (4) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 90.
Average Speed: 101.263 mph.
Time of Race: 2 hours, 10 minutes, 39 seconds.
Margin of Victory: 11.116 seconds.
Caution Flags: 3 for 8 laps.
Lead Changes: 8 among 6 drivers.
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