Shane van Gisbergen’s 2025 Cup Series playoff debut has been a brutal baptism, a true “trial by fire” that’s laid bare the challenges of adapting to NASCAR’s oval-heavy schedule. The three-time Supercars champ from New Zealand stunned the world with his 2023 Chicago Street Course win, and his road-course prowess carried him to four victories in 2025, Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen. But the playoffs?

It’s been a different story. Darlington, his favorite oval, chewed him up with a 32nd-place finish, battling handling woes that left him outside the top 20. Gateway followed with more multi-groove misery, where he couldn’t match the rhythm of oval veterans, finishing 25th. Now Bristol’s high-banked bullring awaits as the Round of 16 cutoff, demanding short-track instincts and

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