SVG Clinches First Oval Top 10
SVG’s rookie season has been widely celebrated, and for good reason, too. His four wins are part of NASCAR history, as they are both the most road course wins any driver has earned in a year and the most wins any rookie has won in a single season. However, his Oval struggles have also been well-documented.
Are SVG’s Oval Struggles Over?
It’s a great question to ask, as he’s shown improvement recently and had his best performance this past week at Kansas. SVG started the year horribly on ovals. Not getting a single top 30 on ovals until the 8th race of the year (7th oval) at Darlington. But from here, real progress was made, and the stats show it. Three races later, he earned another 20th at Kansas, followed by his first oval top 15 at Charlotte.
From here, he is heading into the playoffs, which he clinched through those four road course wins. He had seven oval top 20s. That’s pathetic for Trackhouse, sure, but it’s progress. However, it wasn’t enough, as he was knocked out in the 1st round after coming off a 14th at Richmond and a 16th at Daytona. But then in the 2nd round at Kansas, he gave his best oval performance yet this last weekend at Kansas!
SVG’s Best Oval Performance Yet
Kansas couldn’t start much worse for SVG, as he had to do a pass-through, and his crew chief, Stephen Dran, as a result, would be ejected from the event. And the No. 88 team lost pit selection for the race on top of everything. So, it would be a difficult challenge for SVG, but it’s not even close to the most significant challenge SVG has ever faced.
With his recent improvements, he was ready and determined to face everything and rise once again. So it was only the beginning of his climb up the field.SVG by mid-race was in 20th, making his way through the field slowly but surely. With his 111 green flag passes, which were tied with Bubba Wallace for the 3rd most green flag passes out of everyone in the top 10.
And that’s what led SVG to not only be in the top 10 near the end but for once actually finish there, with his 10th-place finish marking his 1st top ten at an oval in the Cup Series. He even beat both of his teammates, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez, only beating Chastain by a single spot, to truly earn being Trackhouse’s best driver this week.
What Does This Mean for the 2026 Season?
It was very well known after that in Chicago how great he was on road courses. Only proven by the four wins this season, but the giant question mark was how well he’d adapt to ovals, going up against the best of the best. He struggled at first, but with his learning and improvement, especially over the course of one season, he shows promising signs for his next season. Assuming the playoffs are kept, and he keeps up the rate of improvement.
He’ll be able to secure a handful of top 10s at ovals, and, from a playoff perspective, if he can do a good enough job to advance past the first round, then he’ll be in the round that ends with the Roval. He advances there, and he moves on to the Round of 8, which includes Talladega.
Where, despite not having the results this year, he’s shown speed, so a Dega win isn’t as much of a reach as it would seem. It’s an unlikely road to contend for a title, but it’s a road he has access to better than most with his road course domination. So, he continues to improve on ovals, and luck goes his way; SVG could be in the 2026 RO4. Thanks a bunch for reading!
