NASCAR star Shane van Gisbergen reveals one of 'craziest parts' of oval racing

NASCAR Cup Series star Shane van Gisbergen has revealed the craziest part of oval racing in reaction to a major moment in Las Vegas last weekend.

Van Gisbergen made the switch from Supercars - where he won three championships - to NASCAR full-time in 2023, first debuting in the Xfinity Series before stepping up to the Cup for 2025.

Now, reacting to a video of how high he was running around the track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend, the four-time 2025 Cup Series race winner has revealed he still finds that aspect of oval racing crazy.

"Still one of the craziest parts of oval racing to me," he said via Motorsport.com.

"Send it in at 310kph/190mph, missing apex on purpose, heading to the wall hoping an imaginary grip strip/air pocket is going to save you from hitting it, then hearing the exhaust echo on the wall as it holds you off it. Wild!"

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Van Gisbergen looks towards Talladega

Of course, keen watchers of the Cup Series will know that van Gisbergen's success has come on road courses this season, with ovals having been more of a struggle.

There has undoubtedly been an improvement in this regard as the season has progressed; however, a big test awaits this weekend. Next up on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is Talladega, the biggest oval on the calendar at 2.66 miles.

"It's crazy and very different than a traditional oval,” van Gisbergen said on the Alabama track.

"We are doing 320 kilometers in a pack of 40 cars. It's amazing how fast we are going, all squeezed together.

“Talladega is one of the most difficult races that we do. Hopefully, this weekend we can prove that we are getting better at that (superspeedway racing) too and get a good result."

The 36-year-old raced at Talladega earlier this year in April, where he finished P29, but his best finish came with Kaulig Racing last year, where he managed a 15th-place finish.

"I like the challenge of all of them. I like how different they all are,” the Kiwi concluded on the remaining tracks of his 2025 season, which also include Martinsville and Phoenix.

“The intermediates, they look the same shape on paper, but when you go there, they all drive so differently. I really like the challenge of finding all the little intricacies on the track and what makes the cars work."

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