Shane van Gisbergen delivered a masterclass in oval racing at North Wilkesboro, logging a personal best of 49 laps led and reshaping the playoff picture with five events still to run in the regular season.
A Record Day at North Wilkesboro
The New Zealander’s dominance was on full display as he hovered within a car length of his first oval stage victory, only to hear his crew’s tongue‑in‑cheek reply of “I don’t know, go straight!” when he asked what to do next.
A late‑stage shuffle saw Joe Gibbs maneuver around him to claim Stage 1, while Joey Logano ultimately took the checkered flag. Van Gisbergen, however, reclaimed the lead on the Stage 2 restart and noted how much calmer the race felt from the front.
Mid‑race he experimented with his braking, alternating between left‑foot and right‑front techniques, a switch he described as a simple adjustment to keep the car balanced.
The performance vaulted him to a 54‑point cushion above the Chase cut‑line, a margin that could prove decisive as the schedule turns to the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.