Rookie Shane Van Gisbergen finished in the Top 20 on an oval for the first time in 2025, and Ty Gibbs earned his first Top 10 on Sunday at Darlington Motor Speedway.
Being competitive on ovals in NASCAR is no small feat regardless of your racing background, and the former three-time Supercars champion has experienced the struggle firsthand. Through the first seven races of the season, Van Gisbergen struggled to put the No. 88 WeatherTech ride in the top 20 on an oval.
A 20th-place finish at Darlington Motor Speedway gives SVG a season-best finish at an oval that many consider to be one of the most challenging tracks on the schedule due to tire wear and the racing line, which forces the driver to put the right side of the car nearly against the wall in the corners.
This year, Van Gisbergen’s struggle on ovals included a pair of DNFs at Phoenix and Las Vegas and a previous-best 23rd place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
For Ty Gibbs, the season could not start worse as the third-year driver finished outside of the Top 20 five times in a row after a 16th-place finish in the season opener at Daytona.
A return to form the last two weeks by the No. 54 crew as they provided a 13th-place finish at Martinsville and backed up the speed with a season-best ninth-place finish at Darlington. Gibbs had Top 10 speed all weekend, running eighth fastest in practice and qualified 11th.
With Bristol this Sunday, a track Gibbs has led 239 laps at, could be a prime opportunity for the No. 54 team to keep the momentum rolling.
