Shane van Gisbergen wins at Watkins Glen

Shane van Gisbergen placed confidence in his team's plans and strategies as he approached the NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.

"I trust them with what they do," van Gisbergen stated.

The New Zealander, driving the No. 97 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, had to rely heavily on this trust when he found himself in 24th position with only 16 laps remaining. However, a late pit stop proved effective, allowing van Gisbergen to surpass Ty Gibbs with seven laps remaining and secure victory at the Go Bowling at the Glen for the second consecutive year.

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"I believe it was only 20 laps, and the gap was 27 seconds, which was concerning at that point," van Gisbergen remarked. "Once the tires warmed up, I was gaining more than a second per lap. Their tires weren't going to improve, so it was satisfying to hear the gap

Starting from pole position, van Gisbergen led 74 of the 100 laps on Sunday. Stage 1 was claimed by Ross Chastain after van Gisbergen pitted 17 laps in. He returned to secure S

With a caution flag appearing with 40 laps remaining, van Gisbergen and Tyler Reddick chose to stay on the track while most of the field pitted. His crew chief, Stephen Doran, later decided to change tires and refuel 16 laps afterward.

"Given his skill and the quality of our car, I wanted to maintain an offensive strategy," Doran stated. "He did an excellent job regaining the lead and taking control."

This victory marked van Gisbergen's first visit to the winner's circle this season. However, he has now won six of the last seven road course races since 2025.

"I'm thrilled to see how much it means to everyone here and to have executed the day well," van Gisbergen commented. "We clearly had the fastest car, but with so many strategies in play, making the right decisions and winning as we did was quite stressful."

Michael McDowell finished in second place, followed by Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, and Reddick.