NASCAR’s road-course specialist delivered an unforgettable rally on Sunday afternoon at Watkins Glen International. Following a pit stop with 24 laps remaining, Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen erased a staggering 29-second deficit, chasing down leader Ty Gibbs and charging to victory in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Go Bowling at the Glen in Watkins Glen, New York.
The New Zealand-born driver dropped to 22nd position after his final green-flag stop, but he quickly began closing on Gibbs and second-place teammate Connor Zilisch. Van Gisbergen shaved off seconds each lap and passed Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota with eight circuits left.
Ultimately, the No. 97 Chevrolet driver crossed the finish line a massive 7.288 seconds ahead of runner-up Michael McDowell.
Leading 74 out of 100 laps, van Gisbergen secured his sixth win in the last seven road-course races and his seventh career Cup victory—all on road courses—in just 62 starts. He joined Tyler Reddick as the only drivers this season to win from the pole position.
“We weren’t very good in practice, and then qualifying was amazing, good tweaks, and today,” said van Gisbergen, who rose to 16th in the points standings. “I wasn’t sure how it would work out, and then to run them down like that. It’s very special to win at The Glen two years in a row.”
Despite his dominance, the fourth-year road ace insisted it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. “It’s not easy,” he said. “Everyone is really good. There was a lot of pressure. I think McDowell was good. Connor was good. Tyler Reddick. There were some really talented guys and plenty of pressure. I’m just thrilled for these guys executing every part of our game.”
Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, and Reddick rounded out the top five.
Chevrolet claimed its seventh victory in the past eight visits to the Finger Lakes region’s road circuit and its fourth in 12 starts during the 2026 season.
In 2026’s second road-course race, van Gisbergen started from the pole after winning qualifying on his 37th birthday. He pulled away from McDowell’s Chevy by more than two seconds after eight laps.
As the only driver to pit after leading the first 18 laps, van Gisbergen managed an eighth-place finish to earn stage points. Trackhouse’s Ross Chastain took the stage win, followed by Team Penske’s Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, while Chase Elliott stayed out to gain points and finished 12th.
In Stage 2, which lasted 30 laps, Trackhouse’s van Gisbergen and Zilisch built a commanding five-second lead over McDowell by Lap 38. Meanwhile, Chastain’s No. 1 car dropped to 18th until debris—a black tent—landed on the track at Lap 40.
Spire Motorsports teammates McDowell and Daniel Suarez led 1-2 with seven laps left in the stage, but both Chevys faded with two laps to go. Van Gisbergen beat Reddick by less than a second, with Gibbs, Austin Dillon, and Kyle Busch rounding out the top five at the end of Stage 2.
A caution on Lap 60 came when Logano’s No. 22 Ford lost a left front tire. Van Gisbergen and Reddick stayed out for track position, while most of the field pitted, hoping to make it to the finish on fuel.
