SVG rules The Glen to make it four straight road course wins
The New Zealander started toward the front and wasted little time taking control of the 90-lap event around the 3.4-km (2.45-mile) Watkins Glen International layout. By the chequered flag, he had led 38 laps, including the final 17, and crossed the line 11.116 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell.
The result is redemption for van Gisbergen after his near-miss at the same venue in 2024, where a strategy call dropped him out of contention in the closing laps. It also comes in the same week Trackhouse Racing announced a multi-year contract extension for the Kiwi, securing his NASCAR future.
'Good to get that one back,' van Gisbergen said post-race. 'What an awesome race. The car was just amazing again… The day just went flawlessly, and I really enjoyed it.'
Race story
From the outset, the Glen's high-speed esses and heavy-braking chicanes suited van Gisbergen's road-racing background. Stage 1 went to Chris Buescher, who kept his playoff hopes alive with the extra points, while Bell edged ahead briefly in Stage 2 before SVG regained control.
A caution-free final segment allowed van Gisbergen to exploit clean air and metronomic pace. With pit strategy aligned to perfection, he steadily built a gap to Bell, who could do little but consolidate second.
Behind them, Buescher's third-place finish moved him just above the playoff cutline, while William Byron came home fourth to extend his regular-season points lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott. Elliott endured his first finish outside the top 20 this season, coming home 26th after mid-race contact and a spin.
Chase Briscoe took fifth ahead of Ryan Blaney, with Daniel Suárez, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Ross Chastain rounding out the top ten.
The victory ties van Gisbergen with Denny Hamlin for the most wins this season and cements his spot as a top playoff seed heading into the final races before the post-season opener at Darlington.
Top 10 – Watkins Glen Race Results
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