van Gisbergen's Daring COTA Pass

Shane van Gisbergen's victory at the Circuit of the Americas was his first at the track in any NASCAR division, finally delivering a win on a road course where he had previously been fast but unsuccessful. The win came in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, in a race named the Focused Health 250. This victory marked his fifth career win in the series and his first of the 2026 season. The decisive moment came on a restart with just five laps remaining. From a sixth-place starting position on the outside, van Gisbergen dove to the inside of Turn 1, executing a daring maneuver to pass five other cars as the leaders were pushed wide. This single corner was all it took for him to seize the lead and hold on for the win with a 0.780-second margin over Austin Hill. The New Zealander, known for his road racing prowess, dominated the event, leading a race-high 31 of the 65 laps. This win adds to his impressive record on road and street courses, marking his eleventh such victory across NASCAR's top divisions. The victory was also the 10th straight road course win for his JR Motorsports team. Van Gisbergen is in his second full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving for Trackhouse Racing. His move to NASCAR followed a storied career in Australian Supercars, where he is a three-time champion. He made a stunning debut in the Cup Series in 2023 by winning the inaugural Chicago Street Race and went on to win five of the six road course races in his 2025 rookie season. Meanwhile, in the Cup Series, Tyler Reddick's pole position at COTA continues his strong start to the 2026 season and underscores his proficiency at the track. This was his third pole at the Circuit of the Americas, and he holds the best average finish among all active drivers at the venue, including a win in 2023.