Unraveling the SVG Enigma: How Shane van Gisbergen Dominates Chicago's Streets and Beyond

The Art of SVG's Speed

In the world of motorsport, few drivers stir as much excitement on road courses as Shane van Gisbergen (SVG). Particularly at places like the Chicago street course, SVG has showcased a masterclass in precision and speed that has already earned him three wins in NASCAR. As Parker Kligerman and Landon Cassill dissected on a recent episode of "The Money Lap," there's a secret sauce to SVG's success that goes beyond mere driving skill.

SVG's Secret: More Than Just Fast Driving

SVG stormed onto the NASCAR scene last year winning his debut Cup Series race at the first edition of the Chicago street course. It looked like he could pull off a repeat performance this year before getting crashed out. SVG’s dominance on street courses and road racing leaves fans and other drivers wondering… what the hell makes him so good?

Landon explained, “He's just got this absolute deadly accuracy that if you watch some of his onboards, when he's following someone, stalking the leader, it's like, he's just hitting his marks so much more consistent than anybody else he's around. It's kind of amazing.”

Parker added, “I haven't really had a good answer because I haven't seen it firsthand. I couldn't figure it out. I've looked at data and I just couldn't conceptualize what he was sort of doing differently.”

However, after competing with him in The Loop 110 at Chicago and witnessing his race craft firsthand, Parker finally figured out his key to success. “I saw it and I finally get it and I know what it is and it is really, really impressive.”

The Tactical Genius of SVG

Parker took a deep dive into the technical prowess that SVG brings to the table. He explains that what SVG is doing out there isn't just about raw speed. It’s about how he manages those critical moments in a race, especially on road courses where momentum and the complexity of turns can make or break your lap.

“It's obvious his experience led him to do this and it's what, it's the right foot braking that is, it is almost forcing him to do what I'm about to talk about”

Although SVG doesn’t have years of experience in NASCAR to rely on, he has acquired a unique skillset from his 81 wins and over 500 starts in Supercars. All this has fueled his success and accelerated the learning curve in his transition to NASCAR.

Kligerman detailed SVG's uncommon approach, "Everyone thinks it’s the right foot braking and the clutch that makes the big difference. I don't think that's what's making the difference. It’s what it forces him to do in terms of placing his min-speed that then allows him to get back his foot from the brake to the throttle."

Kligerman continued, “Where SVG is making up so much time, and I saw this and the light bulb went off following him for like three or four laps, was that he is actually placing his min-speed far earlier in the corner than anyone else.”

Could it really be as simple as an earlier min-speed?

“If you could look at those walls, you know, those 90-degree corners and the walls there on the inside, there's like three slabs for every corner. You got a slab right at the entrance of the corner, a slab in the middle, and a slab on the exit. He's aiming for that first slab. That's his min-speed point.

And the reason being is that he has to give himself time to get his foot from the right, from the brake, his right foot, over to the throttle.”

What The Rest of The Field Is Missing

“He's basically just reshaping the corners.” Parker examined not only what SVG was doing right but also what the rest of the field was doing wrong.

“I think what we're doing with all the left foot braking and putting the throttle back is we're almost rushing the car and we're rushing the throttle and we're not allowing the corner to be reshaped to allow the best exit off.”

Kligerman even put his theory to the test, “I tried it for like two laps and I was like, oh shit, I'm gonna need more time to work on this.”

“I’ve got to do more digging. There's more to be done. I was working with some engineers this past week that we were going to dive into it, maybe dive into it more next week on some sim stuff. But I think I figured it out and I'm not afraid to put it out there because I'm sure everyone's seen it. And it's really fascinating because it is an entirely different way of tackling going around that racetrack.”

SVG’s Secret Is Out

Now that the secret is out, will SVG’s reign of terror come to an end? Or is there still something missing that the rest of the field hasn’t quite figured out yet?

Let us know what you think - sound off in the comments below!

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