Denny Hamlin was left in splits after a hilarious coincidence involving Shane van Gisbergen at Talladega Superspeedway. The Trackhouse Racing rookie endured one among his wildest NASCAR weekends but, however for the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran, it was an off-track second that stole the present.
The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck wrote on X on Monday, October 20:
“Apropos of nothing: Yesterday in the course of the monitor stroll, I noticed SVG’s canine Ronald take a dump not removed from the place SVG received caught.”
Hours later, Hamlin doubled down on the humor, writing:
“I’ve stared at this tweet for 20 min and completely can’t cease laughing 😂😂😂”
The second got here throughout Sunday’s YellowWood 400 – the center race of the NASCAR Cup Collection Playoffs Spherical of 8. It turned out to be a comeback drive for Shane van Gisbergen, who confirmed simply how far he has are available in his rookie season.
Beginning thirty first, SVG made progress within the opening laps, operating as excessive as second throughout Stage 1 and remaining firmly within the lead pack. Nevertheless, on Lap 111, getting into the pit lane throughout green-flag stops, he hit a moist patch close to the tri-oval and misplaced management of his No. 88 Chevrolet. It was apparently the place his canine had made its mark the day past.
The automotive spun and brushed the automobiles of Christopher Bell and William Byron, leaving SVG momentarily stranded within the grass. Regardless of the mishap, the three-time Supercars champion recovered to complete eleventh, lacking out on a top-10 by a mere 0.030 seconds. It was one among his most composed oval drives but.
Denny Hamlin, in the meantime, had little to lose at Talladega after locking himself into the Championship 4 along with his Las Vegas win per week earlier. He ran a conservative race, avoiding the large wrecks and ending exterior the highest 20 whereas nonetheless strengthening his path towards Phoenix. Along with his playoff place safe, he now turns to Martinsville – a monitor the place he’s one of many all-time masters.
Denny Hamlin hails Shane van Gisbergen as “the best street course NASCAR driver in historical past”


Talking earlier this month, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver described Shane van Gisbergen as one of the best street course racer NASCAR has ever seen and mentioned that it’s not even shut. By means of 2025, Denny Hamlin notched a league-best six wins. The one man near that’s SVG, who has 5 victories, all approaching street programs: Mexico Metropolis, Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and the Charlotte Roval.
Hamlin defined that even his Trackhouse Racing teammates, with entry to the identical information and setups, can’t match his tempo. He additionally addressed comparisons between Shane van Gisbergen and NASCAR legends like Jeff Gordon, mentioning that the competitors as we speak was far nearer than in earlier eras, by way of the Actions Detrimental podcast:
“Does he (Jordan Bianchi) actually assume that Jeff Gordon in his prime would beat SVG as we speak in a Subsequent Gen automotive? Not an opportunity. Jeff Gordon was not profitable by this margin. Jeff Gordon was not racing automobiles this equal to everybody else’s. Jeff Gordon was in a Hendrick Motorsports automotive that was Ray Everham’ed up. That isn’t even a distant comparability.
“Now, I’m speaking about somebody in Jeff Gordon that’s on the Mount Rushmore of biggest drivers ever. However with regards to turning left and proper, they aren’t shut. SVG is the best street course NASCAR driver in historical past. And he’s solely been doing it for a 12 months and a half. And it’s undisputed.” (37:35 onwards)
Since SVG’s stunning debut win on the streets of Chicago in 2023, he’s redefined what’s attainable for a global driver adapting to inventory automobiles. His 5 straight street course victories streak is one wanting Jeff Gordon’s long-standing document of six.
What makes it extra spectacular is that Shane van Gisbergen’s oval type is catching up quick. His latest performances, together with a close to top-10 end at Talladega and a top-10 end at Kansas, reveal a driver studying the nuances of turning left each week.
Edited by Hitesh Nigam

