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Shane van Gisbergen is gearing up for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race, but his stance on racing in the rain might come as a surprise. Contrary to expectations, he’s not a fan of wet conditions. “I absolutely hate racing in the rain, but I’m good at it. I’d rather it didn’t rain,but if it happens,we put the wets on and go.”

He further explained his perspective: “I just don’t enjoy it. It’s just never fun. You’re always sliding around, and it just turns stuff into chaos. It’s fun to watch, but I don’t really enjoy driving.”

For SVG, the road course this weekend offers a ‘holiday’ from the challenges of oval racing, where he’s been working hard to improve.His efforts on ovals are yielding results, with three top-20 finishes in the last four races, a notable advancement from his initial ten races.

van Gisbergen’s Oval Track Progress

“yeah, it’s been definitely a big upswing the last few weeks.”

“Yeah, it’s been definitely a big upswing the last few weeks,” van Gisbergen stated. “I feel like I’ve had to start again. Last year taught me a lot and helped me get acclimated into American racing, but the cars (Xfinity versus Cup) are just chalk and cheese different. There’s no comparison to how they drive; how they react in the air. I feel like I’m learning everything again.”

He continued, “I whent to Nashville the other weekend and the cars drive nowhere similar. I feel like I’m not a complete rookie altogether, but the results are improving and the pace is getting better. I feel like we’re not forcing it. I’m not doing stupid stuff trying to keep up every week. I think we’re being methodical; getting better every week, learning our processes and our genuine competitiveness has gotten a lot better.”

“We’ve been frustrated with 18th or whatever it’s been the last couple of weeks as we had potential to be at the back end of the top-10 or 15th, which is a decent result for how it’s been going. If we keep progressing on the ovals and with these road courses coming up, anything can happen. I’m relatively happy. Justin [Marks, team owner] has been amazing in supporting me and just giving me all the time I need and not putting pressure on me. It’s been really cool.”

Securing a win this weekend would not only ease the pressure but also guarantee him a spot in the playoffs as he continues to master oval tracks. He demonstrated his potential by finishing within the top ten during both practice sessions on Friday.