Kevin Harvick has firm opinion on Shane van | Sports News

Shane van Gisbergen’s dominance has already landed him a spot within the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, and following one other spectacular oval run, Kevin Harvick believes the New Zealander may but make a push within the Playoffs.

With 4 wins in 5 street course races to date this season, the 36-year-old three-time Supercars Championship winner has been in a class of his own on roads, whereas ovals stay comparatively uncharted territory for the Trackhouse Racing driver. Van Gisbergen’s supremacy might have confirmed controversial amongst some, however as Kyle Larson beforehand warned, ought to he discover his groove on ovals, he may but be a “dominant” power past the roads.

Van Gisbergen has said on quite a few events of late that he believes he’s starting to search out his approach on the uniquely American oval raceways, as was evident along with his strong 14th-place end at Richmond within the Cook Out 400 on Saturday, which was gained by Austin Dillon.

His joint-best oval end of the season, and his second-best within the Cup Series, Richmond additionally marked van Gisbergen’s second prime 20 end on an oval prior to now three races. His continuous enchancment seems to have satisfied 2014 champion Harvick that the motive force of the No. 88 shouldn’t be underestimated as soon as the Playoffs kick off following Daytona.

“That 15th to 18th, 19th average finishing position in a round typically will advance you through the first round,” he mentioned on ‘Harvick’s Happy Hour‘. “So, if he can get those 14th, 15th-place finishes in the First Round with the points that he has earned, he could make it through that First Round, and why would you bet against him?”

Harvick then requested why anybody wouldn’t decide Van Gisbergen as the favourite on the Roval, with the street course set to play host to the third and last race within the Round of 12.

The First Round is set to start at Darlington, the place Van Gisbergen completed down in twenty sixth final season, though within the Xfinity Series, he crossed the road in seventh. The Cup will then head for World Wide Technology Raceway, which stays a full unknown to the rookie, earlier than he heads to the more acquainted environment of Bristol, the place harm from a wreck finally knocked him out of the Food City 500 in April. 

Despite Van Gisbergen’s lack of laps across the three tracks in query, his overarching enchancment on ovals may but put him in good standing to meet Harvick’s prediction. “The start of the year was pretty rough,” van Gisbergen not too long ago informed Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his ‘Dale Jr. Download‘ podcast of racing ovals. “But you can see the glimpses, and now they’re getting more and more.

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“And I feel like I’ve had some really good races, I feel like I’m matching my teammates a lot of weeks, and qualifying really well, and I can see it coming and feel it coming.

“We’re still a long way from winning a race or being complete, but I can feel and see where the time is. I’m having more moments where I have a couple of good sections of a race or feel the car doing something, and I’m, ‘Oh, there it is. There’s the limit.’ And I’m getting closer to that every week. And I’m feeling it more often.

“So I can really feel the progression. But the biggest thing is, I enjoy it. I’ve really had some cool races on ovals and I get to the end of the stage and I’m worn out [and] puffing and I’m like, ‘Man, that was fun.’ And I’ll be 10th, or I’ll be 20th or whatever, it doesn’t matter I just really enjoy the racing on the ovals.”