Shane van Gisbergen will enter 2028 as a free agent in demand.
He started his journey as a road course ringer, and today he has become an essential part of Trackhouse Racing's operations. When Trackhouse brought in SVG, many doubted his ability to survive NASCAR and stay relevant. Yet, in 2026, he is out running the likes of Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, and Tyler Reddick and finishing in the top-10s. Let's not forget the fact that he is running a subpar racecar, which can barely compete with front runners, let alone win.
Trackhouse Racing has him for 2027, but he still doesn't have a contract extension beyond that. Now Hendrick Motorsports realized Connor Zilisch's potential early on and took him away for 2028. So why wouldn't any other team want an experienced driver with a proven track record and victories? That's where SVG fits into the picture.
A sureshot victor on road courses and a better driver on ovals
Shane van Gisbergen has been rapidly progressing in the Cup Series. Between last year and 2026, his oval performance has become much better than his peers. If he can do that in a backmarker car, then teams can only imagine what he would be capable of in a top-performing car.
Speaking about his popularity in the garage, Jeff Gluck mentions, "SVG is somebody to watch. There are teams out there that are looking at this guy going, Big teams are looking at him going, ‘Man, we get him in one of our cars. Like we’re better than Trackhouse. We’re going to win some road course races.’
“And you know what he can do on an oval, like he’s good now on ovals. Like, he’s going to have options and he’s going to be a player in 2028 somewhere.”
Many top and upcoming teams in NASCAR will be looking forward to refreshing their roster. They would definitely want to work with a driver who can guarantee at least 2-3 wins every season. The win and in format are gone, but SVG is starting to rely on his consistency much better. During the Chase, he is competing against the top-16 drivers without any hesitation. His next Cup contract would be something to look forward to.
