“I’m leading. What the (expletive) do I do now?”
On Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series raced on the 5/8-mile of North Wilkesboro Speedway. Shane van Gisbergen turned heads…
In stage one, he took the race lead away from Denny Hamlin. “Clear, clear,” the team stated over the radio.
SVG jumped on the radio, “I’m leading. What the (expletive) do I do now?”
It was the first time van Gisbergen led on a short track. The driver comes from the world of Supercars where there are no ovals let alone short ones.
The team responded, “I don’t know. Go straight.”
The 37-year-old drove it to his best-finish on an oval. And, it marks the first top 10 on a short track in his NASCAR Cup Series career.
SVG has collected 8 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series over the last few seasons. He’s yet to collect an oval win. But, that is certainly on the way.
North Wilkesboro Race Results: July 19, 2026 (NASCAR Cup Series)
Shane van Gisbergen comments after the race
Shane van Gisbergen told TNT Sports after the race, “When I took the lead I got pretty excited. I said, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ “
“Amazing to get stage points, both stages. A bit pissed, I threw it away on the final corner on that first stage. Just awesome racing up front all night.”
Despite the race being run at night, it was one of the hottest races of the year so far.
“It’s hot man. Just soaked the whole time. When you’re behind people you start cooking as well. You feel the brakes, tires, everything just gets hot.”
“I felt fine. But, when I stopped I thought, ‘Oh shit, I’m pretty cooked.’ It was fun.”
