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Shane Van Gisbergen Looking For Another Good Run At EchoPark Speedway

by racerx55 July 11, 2026 0 comments

By Matthew Thomerson/TheFourthTurn.com

HAMPTON, Ga. – Shane van Gisbergen returns to EchoPark Speedway with good vibes and is determined for another solid finish.

The New Zealander and V8 Supercars Champion turned NASCAR Cup Series star has garnered much success with his road course prowess, leading to eight NASCAR Cup Series victories (including two this season) and a current spot in The Chase, sitting 14th in the standings. In order to be a viable Chase threat, one has to be able to perform on any track type, and it seems van Gisbergen has steadily proved he can do that this season.

In February, he scored a sixth-place finish at EchoPark Speedway, and at the time, it was his highest-ever on an oval track. Since then, he has added a fifth at Nashville; however, comparing the two tracks is like comparing apples to oranges. Atlanta, being a newly incepted superspeedway hybrid, means the chaos meter is pegged any time the field returns to race here.

Anything can seemingly go wrong in an instant at EchoPark Speedway, and the worn-out surface adds a variable of difficulty for the driver. Add in the fact, van Gisbergen is just 30 points above the cutline with seven races left in the regular season, and another big points day is key with no more road courses left. Van Gisbergen feels points will be a must-have ahead of Sunday.

“We need points,” van Gisbergen said. “We generally don’t qualify well here, but we race pretty well, so getting points in the first stage once it goes green will be difficult, but hopefully Stage 2, we can start working our way up there and we normally race well here so hopefully we can get an opportunity to get points.” 

van Gisbergen has also produced solid runs at other traditional left-turn tracks in 2026, with a trio of 11th-place runs at Phoenix, Martinsville and Charlotte. Luckily for the New Zealander, tracks like Richmond and New Hampshire coming up could fit his style.

For van Gisbergen and his Trackhouse Racing team, avoiding the sub-20th-place runs and minimal-point days is crucial in keeping themselves inside the top-16 after Daytona.

He will start 12th on Sunday in the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart. Live coverage will broadcast on TNT at 7 p.m. ET.

Photo Credit: Christian Koelle/TheFourthTurn.com