Denny Hamlin didn't hold back when responding to NASCAR analyst Jordan Bianchi's recent comments about Shane van Gisbergen. Bianchi suggested that Van Gisbergen isn’t quite on the same playing field as NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon when it comes to dominating road course races—and Hamlin’s reaction? He bluntly told Bianchi to "shut up." But here’s where it gets controversial: Van Gisbergen just clinched his fifth straight road course win in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series at the Charlotte Roval, proving he's a force to be reckoned with.
Jeff Gordon currently holds the all-time record for the most Cup Series road course victories, boasting nine wins—with five of those at Sonoma Raceway and four at Watkins Glen International. In contrast, Van Gisbergen, a former Supercars champion now in his first full NASCAR Cup season, has already secured five wins this year. He even won his NASCAR debut race in 2023, triumphing at the very first Cup street race in Chicago, which is no small feat.
Van Gisbergen’s impressive road and street course skills have earned him a reputation as one of the best in NASCAR's history on these types of tracks. However, despite this, Bianchi remains unconvinced that Van Gisbergen matches up to the road racing prowess of the four-time Cup champion, Jeff Gordon. Hamlin firmly disagrees and considers Van Gisbergen the best road course racer in NASCAR history. He even highlighted where Gordon might have fallen short.
On The Teardown podcast, Bianchi acknowledged Gordon’s greatness, saying during his prime, people believed Gordon could have competed in Formula One. Yet, Bianchi questioned if Van Gisbergen belongs in the same conversation, pointing out Gordon’s extensive record and speculating that had there been more road courses in Gordon’s era, his stats might have been even more impressive.
Hamlin, who is leading the Cup playoffs as they enter the Round of 8, was quick and passionate in his rebuttal. On his Actions Detrimental podcast, he called Bianchi "out of his mind." Hamlin challenged the notion that Gordon in his prime would defeat Van Gisbergen today, especially in the high-tech Next Gen cars. He argued Gordon’s victories came in a Hendrick Motorsports car expertly managed by Ray Evernham, making the cars less equal compared to today’s much more level playing field.
"Jeff Gordon is one of the all-time greats," Hamlin affirmed, "but when it comes to road courses, Van Gisbergen is on a different level. This isn’t even close. Van Gisbergen is the greatest road course driver NASCAR has ever seen—and he’s achieved this in less than two years." Hamlin was emphatic, telling anyone who disagrees to "shut up," noting he competes at the highest level, while Bianchi doesn’t. He didn’t hold back, criticizing Bianchi for what he called a loss of journalistic credibility and poor judgment.
While Van Gisbergen made the playoffs during his rookie full season, he was eliminated early. He’s still developing his skills on oval tracks, which are crucial in NASCAR. Should he improve on the ovals, many believe he will become a serious championship contender. Even Kyle Larson, a respected NASCAR driver, admitted earlier this year that once Van Gisbergen masters the ovals, "he’s going to be dominant."
This debate touches on deeper questions: Should we judge drivers from different eras on the same scale, especially when the technology and competition have evolved? And can Van Gisbergen’s rapid rise signal a new era of NASCAR road course mastery? Do you agree with Hamlin's bold claim or side with Bianchi's respect for history? The conversation is wide open, and your thoughts are welcome in the comments.
