Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte defend Shane van Gisbergen amid NASCAR playoff outrage

Shane van Gisbergen is playoff-bound after his dominant showing in this past Sunday’s race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. Van Gisbergen dusted the field, cruising to a 16.567 margin of victory over Christopher Bell. 

His win wasn’t a surprise. The New Zealand native is a road course ace. But it has shaken up the playoff picture, as entering the race, he sat 33rd in the points standings. Van Gisbergen had failed to qualify for the inaugural In-Season Tournament. His season is now saved, the same way Harrison Burton saved his with his surprise win at Daytona International Speedway last season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t have an issue with it then, and he doesn’t now, he said on the “Dale Jr. Download.”

“There is a bit of a conversation, I suppose, going on around the sport, similarly to last year when Harrison Burton won his race and sent the Wood Brothers into the playoffs sitting around 30th in points. It’s the way the rules are written. I don’t necessarily have a problem with it. I didn’t have a problem with it last year,” Earnhardt said. “If that’s how NASCAR wants to write the rules, I can embrace it. Everyone knows what they are when the season begins.

“Do I think SVG is going to go and spoil the Championship battle by winning the whole thing outright? I don’t. His performance on the ovals would argue he still has a ways to go. So, I’m not so worried about that and I don’t even feel like he’s stealing a spot from somebody maybe better deserving; somebody 15th, 14th in points.”

Steve Letarte reacts to Shane van Gisbergen clinching playoff spot

Despite his inexperience on ovals, it was always likely van Gisbergen could win on a road course and become playoff-bound. It’s why Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks has him in the No. 88 car. Winning is hard, and as Steve Letarte pointed out, this wasn’t a fluke; nobody had an answer to van Gisbergen in Mexico City.

“I think stealing a spot is a slap in the face to what he just did. He earned a spot. He beat you by 15-and-a-half seconds, if I might add,” Letarte said. “We’re not talking a photo finish. I’m not a believer that you should be in the top 30 or top 25 in points. I know this is not popular in the garage. There’s people who feel like you should have to be high enough. But man, he’s gone to every race. This isn’t a one-off entry. That would bother me. If Trackhouse ran different drivers and just cherry picked and tried to win their way in on the Owners Championship, I’d be like, alright, I think we’re getting out there a little bit. That’s not what they’re doing.

“They have committed to SVG. Every race, he is there. His approach — he’s trying to be better on the ovals. I’m totally good with this. Harrison Burton last year — that was one of the moments of the entire year. I was up there in the booth watching Jeff [Burton] get to call his son to Victory Lane. … Then, somebody has the audacity to go, ‘Well, it shouldn’t count.’ You’re just mad because your driver didn’t win. It absolutely should count.”

How far can Shane van Gisbergen go in playoffs?

Van Gisbergen will be one of 16 drivers vying for the Championship. Letarte doesn’t see him making a deep run; however, he noted that if he makes it out of the Round of 16, the Charlotte ROVAL is on the Round of 12 schedule.

“I’m great with SVG winning. I’m also not all blue sky like he’s going to make a deep run. No, he isn’t. Like, he’s just not,” Letarte said. “I think he could get out of Round 1, maybe. If he gets out of Round 1, shame on the other drivers to not eliminate him. I’m a big competition guy. If you let him out of Round 1 to go win the ROVAL, shame on you for letting him out of Round 1.”