“It’s a shame”: Shane van Gisbergen laments lost potential as Trackhouse Racing teammates shine at Las Vegas 

Shane van Gisbergen is struggling to find his footing in his rookie NASCAR Cup Series season, and his recent visit to Las Vegas Motor Speedway added fuel to his unfortunate run. While the other two Chevrolets of the Trackhouse Racing drivers have made strides, the Supercars champion has yet to make his mark in the traditional ovals.

The Pennzoil 400 event in Las Vegas native recently got done and dusted with Josh Berry securing his maiden Cup Series win with Wood Brothers Racing. Following him Trackhouse's Daniel Suarez wheeled in his No. 99 Chevy in the runner-up spot and Ross Chastain managed a top-five finish in the 2025 NASCAR season's fifth race.

On the other hand, the No. 88 driver Gisbergen who started P28 on the grid tried maneuvering his machine inside the top 20 on Lap 107 when he faced a flat tire and spun, leading to a lost lap. Moreover, the 35-year-old faced a right front brake failure which eventually led to his premature retirement from the 1.5-mile asphalt.

While Shane van Gisbergen believed the Red Bull-sponsored Chevrolet had potential but admitted that the deed didn't go their way. In a post-race conversation, the Cup Series rookie said (via NBC Sports):

“Our day was going pretty good there at the start. I was learning to move around and started to go forward. Just made an adjustment that didn’t go our way and never recovered. It’s a shame, my Red Bull Chevrolet had plenty of potential and I felt like I could’ve been okay. My teammates ran really well, so our car was good. Just learning to put myself in the right spots. We’ll be ready for Homestead next weekend.”

Nevertheless, Gisbergen, a one-time Cup race winner, has a positive mindset as NASCAR enters the 2025 season. He also reflected on his initial runs in the Superspeedway last month that came as a "surprise" for the No. 88 team.

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Shane van Gisbergen on his rookie NASCAR Cup season: "I feel like we have been fast enough"

Ahead of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, Shane van Gisbergen reflected on his first few races with Trackhouse Racing. He feels the cars have been fast enough, evident from his teammate's recent runs.

However, the New Zealander still needs to find his ground on ovals. In a conversation with SpeedFreaks on March 15, Gisbergen said:

"Well, we have had promise. We had a lot of speed. We could run upfront at Daytona, which was a surprise to me. Then Atlanta as well. Our competitiveness has been really good at all tracks. Even Phoenix, although we were at the back, the potential was there. I was feeling more and more comfortable with how we were going (at Phoenix). So, it wasn't a lost cause. I feel like we have been fast enough. Just had a bit of an average run."

With only a top 10 finish at Circuit of the Americas, Shane van Gisbergen will look to make his mark in the next Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 23.