Denny Hamlin debates why Shane van Gisbergen has been struggling in NASCAR

Shane van Gisbergen burst onto the NASCAR scene, winning his first Cup Series start in Chicago back in 2023. After a full season in the Xfinity Series, he’s racing full-time at the top level in American motorsports, but it’s been a struggle for the 35-year-old.

The man affectionately known as SVG has one top-ten finish in 2025. That came back at the Circuit of the Americas, when he finished P6. Aside from that, the Trackhouse Racing wheelman hasn’t finished above P20 on the season, and he’s P34 in the point standings at the moment.

On the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin tried to make sense of it all. While he doesn’t know if SVG can turn it around on every type of track in NASCAR, he recognizes that with some road course races on the horizon, it’s not impossible to see him make a surprise run into the playoffs, while he cultivates his skill.

“When Shane van Gisbergen wins a road course this year and has run almost last in all the other races, just prepare yourselves for it. That’s coming. … It’s been a struggle, for sure. More than I thought it was gonna be for him. It’s hard, you know — running in the Cup Series is hard. The competition is hard,” Hamlin stated.

“He’s learning. Trying to learn something. A new technique, a new craft. I mean, that’s really, really hard to do. I don’t know. It’s just — it’s tough to ask someone to just come over here and just change their — the way, you know, what they’re driving and all that stuff. This is not what he grew up doing. So you’re just kind of throwing him in there. I think they’re, you know, throwing him in there, hoping he wins a road course race. Puts them in the playoffs. Moves their charter ranking up. I think it’s — I think that’s the play.”

Alas, van Gisbergen wasn’t perfect on tracks outside road courses during his time in the Xfinity Series, but the Cup Series has definitely been an adjustment for the New Zealander. Perhaps the week off for Easter Sunday will do him some good, and he’ll be ready to come back strong at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27.

One thing is for sure, Shane van Gisbergen has a ton of pride, and he possesses the talent to turn his season around in 2025. Will he get it done? That remains to be seen, but bet against him at your own risk. Denny Hamlin won’t be taking him lightly moving forward in the Cup Series, that’s for sure.