Shane Van Gisbergen came close to winning but left the Circuit of the Americas without a triumph, moving up to fifth place in the NASCAR Cup Series standings following a strong points haul. The 2026 race continued his impressive performance on road and street courses this season, though victory narrowly eluded him at COTA. His competitive display underscored his status as a top contender in the championship.
Strong Progress Through the Field Despite Mid-Pack Start
After qualifying 13th, Van Gisbergen steadily advanced during the race, climbing to third before the initial round of pit stops. He remained on track until the stage’s conclusion, securing nine points by finishing second in the first stage. He followed this by earning an additional stage point with a tenth-place finish in Stage 2. Throughout the final stage, he stayed near the front but just outside the lead battle dominated by Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney, setting up a tense finish.
Tyler Reddick Denies Van Gisbergen Historic Win Streak
On the restart, Van Gisbergen managed to overtake Blaney and pursued Reddick keenly for multiple laps. Yet, despite his efforts, Van Gisbergen could not match Reddick’s pace and gradually fell about four seconds behind. The #97 Chevrolet driven by Van Gisbergen ultimately finished second, marking his first top-five finish of the 2026 NASCAR season.
“It’s weird to be disappointed with second,”
Van Gisbergen said after the race.
This series is just so high level and I felt okay. We got our Chevy a lot better than yesterday, but following Tyler – his driving was immaculate, and his car was very good too. I tried. Didn’t quite have enough, but still a great points day for the #97.”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, Driver
Van Gisbergen also commented on his car’s limitations, stating it
“lacked a little bit of turn and a little bit of drive. Tyler [Reddick] was just amazing. The way he was driving was really good and his car was good. We just didn’t quite have enough…”
– Shane Van Gisbergen, Driver
Championship Standings Impacted by COTA Performance
Before this weekend, Van Gisbergen was 16th in the NASCAR Cup standings, having recently recorded his best oval track result. After the race at COTA, he climbed significantly, now sitting fifth in the championship, just 26 points behind second place and 96 points behind race winner Tyler Reddick. This leap illustrates Van Gisbergen’s rising momentum as the season progresses.
