Shane van Gisbergen Interview After Winning at Watkins Glen | VICTORY LAP
About this episode
Shane van Gisbergen breaks down how his team executed the right strategy at Watkins Glen through stages and chaotic yellow timing, staying calm and using radio updates about gaps. He credits crew chief Steven Doran’s trusted calls and says the points system makes road-course results and stage points more critical. Shifting to Cup adaptation, he notes progress on ovals but still struggles to recover after bad qualifying. Looking ahead to Dover’s “Monster Mile,” he explains the banking, weightless dips, and intense G-forces.
yellows
"And then when the race went crazy with all the, you know, like the stages and the yellows at the wrong time, I guess for us, I think as a team, we made all the right calls and managed it from that point onwards."
“Yellows” are caution periods where the race slows down because of something on track. When that happens, teams often change their plan—especially when to pit and how to keep track position.
“Yellows” refers to NASCAR caution periods when race control slows the field due to an incident. Cautions can dramatically change strategy because pit timing and track position become more valuable, and gaps between cars tighten.
stages
"And then when the race went crazy with all the, you know, like the stages and the yellows at the wrong time, I guess for us, I think as a team, we made all the right calls and managed it from that point onwards."
NASCAR races are broken into segments called stages. Teams plan around them because points and strategy can change depending on when you pit and how you manage tires and fuel.
In NASCAR, races are split into multiple segments called stages. Stage racing affects strategy—teams may adjust pit timing, tire usage, and fuel planning to score points and position themselves for the final run.
gaps
"You know, I think Steven was calm on the radio and so was Josh, just telling me the gaps and telling me what I needed to do."
“Gaps” means how much time is between you and the cars around you. Your team tells you the gap so you know whether you need to go harder or manage your pace to stay in control.
“Gaps” are the time differences between cars on track, relayed to the driver by the team. Managing gaps is crucial during cautions and restarts because it helps the driver decide when to push, conserve, or defend position.
pits
"And yeah, it was, it was a worry when I first pulled out of the pits and store on"
The pits are where the car stops during the race for service. When you pit (and how long it takes) can strongly affect your position and chances to win.
“Pits” refers to the pit lane area where teams stop the car for service during the race. Pit stops are a core part of NASCAR strategy because they determine tire changes, fuel amounts, and how a team cycles through track position.
road course specialists changing how Cup teams approach road course races
"Do you feel like the road course specialists, there's a few of you obviously, are kind of changing the way some of these cup teams approach the road course races?"
They talk about whether drivers who are especially good on road courses are changing how other teams prepare. The idea is that teams may be adjusting their strategy because road courses are becoming more important.
The segment discusses how road-course-focused drivers and teams can influence strategy and preparation across NASCAR’s Cup Series. It’s about whether specialization is changing how teams plan for road courses and chase results.
win and you're in
"especially now, like they're worth so many points now to get a win, like it's not win and you're in anymore, but"
“Win and you’re in” is a rule where a race win can basically guarantee you move on to the next playoff step. The point the guest is making is that the system now rewards consistent points more than that older win-only shortcut.
“Win and you’re in” refers to a NASCAR playoff-style rule where winning a race can automatically qualify a driver for the next playoff round. The speaker contrasts that older approach with the current points emphasis, where wins and points both matter more continuously.
stage points
"So it's definitely worth putting in a big effort to try and score as many points as possible and get the stage points."
NASCAR breaks many races into segments called stages. Finishing well in a stage earns extra points, which can help your season total even if you don’t win the whole race.
In NASCAR, races are split into stages, and drivers earn extra points based on where they finish in each stage. “Stage points” can materially affect the championship even if you don’t win the race outright.
practice
"I'm looking forward to a long practice, getting to try some things and experiment a little bit and then got some decent tracks coming up, especially Charlotte."
Practice is the time before the race where drivers and teams try things on the track. They use it to figure out how the car handles and make changes before qualifying and the race.
In NASCAR, practice sessions are scheduled on-track time where drivers test setups and learn how the car behaves. Teams use practice to experiment with adjustments before qualifying and the race.
points every week
"and then got some decent tracks coming up, especially Charlotte. So yeah, looking forward to getting to those tracks and just got to keep trying to score and maximize the many points every week and not make mistakes."
NASCAR uses a points system to reward finishing position and consistency across the season. The idea of “maximizing points every week” means avoiding mistakes and aiming for strong finishes even when you’re not winning.
Cup Series
"You earned your seventh career win, obviously, in the Cup Series. Where do you feel like you're at in terms of being adapted to Cup Series racing?"
The Cup Series is NASCAR’s main, top-level racing. A win there means you did it against the best drivers in the sport.
The Cup Series is NASCAR’s top national stock-car racing series. When the speaker says they earned a win in the Cup Series, they’re referring to the highest level of NASCAR competition.
ovals
"Because you've admittedly said you want to be better on the ovals, which you've made a lot of progress on those. But where do you feel like you're at in terms of adapting?"
Ovals are NASCAR tracks shaped like an oval. They feel and drive differently than other tracks, so drivers often need extra practice and setup changes to do well there.
Ovals are oval-shaped NASCAR tracks, and they demand different driving technique and car setup than road courses. The speaker’s focus on improving on ovals suggests they’re working on adapting steering, throttle, and balance for high-speed, sustained cornering.
qualifying
"It's showed that the last couple of weeks when we've struggled, you can see those good drivers when they have a bad qualifying or something. They can dig themselves out of that hole and I can't quite do that yet."
Qualifying is how NASCAR sets the race starting order. If you qualify poorly, you start behind others and have to make up positions during the race.
Qualifying in NASCAR determines the starting position for the race. If a driver qualifies poorly, they may start farther back and have to work through traffic and strategy to recover.
pre-race meeting
"one of us has to win today in our pre-race meeting. There was no point Conor and I doing stupid stuff trying to one up each other."
Before the race, the driver and crew talk through the plan. They decide how they want the car to behave and what strategy to use during the race.
In NASCAR, a pre-race meeting is a team briefing where drivers and crew align on race plan, strategy, and expectations for the specific track. It’s where decisions get made about how to approach the car’s setup and race execution before green-flag racing.
splitting our strategies
"And I think we did a good thing splitting our strategies too and covering all bases as a team. So that was a really good job by the team to be a little bit defensive"
It means the team uses different race plans for different cars. That way, if one plan doesn’t work out, another might, and the team still has a better chance to win.
“Splitting strategies” means using different race approaches—like pit timing and tire management—across cars in the same team. The goal is to increase the odds that at least one car ends up in the best position when race conditions and cautions play out.
set up
"Just trying to make the right calls every week on the set up and be there from the start of the weekend. Because when you're buried after qualifying,"
In NASCAR, “set up” refers to the car’s track-specific adjustments—especially suspension and handling balance—to make the car drive predictably in corners and under different tire and fuel conditions. Small setup changes can strongly affect speed and tire wear over a run.
Monster Mile (Delaware)
"Your next opportunity to start a weekend strong is in a few days up in Delaware. Monster Mile, it's not a points pain race, but it is a big pain race. If you win the million dollars obviously for the all-star race."
“Monster Mile” is the nickname for the NASCAR track in Delaware. It’s a one-mile oval where the race can be tough and strategy matters.
The “Monster Mile” is the nickname for Dover International Speedway, a 1-mile oval in Delaware. It’s known for demanding race conditions where setup and strategy can make a big difference.
all-star race
"Monster Mile, it's not a points pain race, but it is a big pain race. If you win the million dollars obviously for the all-star race. How is this weekend just kind of a fun off the script from what you guys normally are doing?"
The all-star race is a special NASCAR event that isn’t like the normal points races. It’s a big deal and teams focus hard because the prize and attention are huge.
The “all-star race” refers to NASCAR’s special exhibition-style event that’s separate from the regular points-paying schedule. Because it’s not the same as a typical points race, teams often treat it as a high-stakes, strategy-heavy opportunity.
banking
"Just how committed you have to be, the way that it dips into the corners of the track and [551.4s] you kind of feel weightless. [553.1s] And then the car really loads into the banking and you just have an insane amount of grip"
Banking means the track is angled in the turns. That angle helps the car stay stable and stick better as you go around fast.
Banking is the track’s curved surface that tilts upward toward the outside of the turn. That tilt helps counteract the sideways forces, allowing the car to carry more speed while staying planted.
weightless
"Just how committed you have to be, the way that it dips into the corners of the track and [551.4s] you kind of feel weightless."
“Weightless” is what it feels like when the car loses some of its push down on you. It often happens when the track dips, and it can make the car feel floaty.
“Weightless” is how drivers describe reduced seat pressure when the car unloads over dips or transitions. Even though the car is still moving fast, the vertical forces drop, which can make the car feel floaty and harder to control.
G-Force
"And then the car really loads into the banking and you just have an insane amount of grip [558.0s] because of the G-Force there."
G-force is how hard the car is pushing you sideways or up/down while you drive. On a banked track, it can be really strong, which helps the tires stick to the road.
G-force is the acceleration you feel during cornering, braking, or bumps, expressed in “g” units. On a banked oval like the Monster Mile, higher lateral Gs push the car into the tires and help generate grip.
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