Overview

• The Trackhouse driver is seeded sixth with 22 playoff points that translate to roughly a 16-point edge over the cutline.
• The opening round features Darlington, Gateway, and Bristol, with Gateway a first-time stop for him and Bristol previously described as very difficult.
• Oval form is trending upward with finishes of 14th at Richmond and 16th at Daytona, though he still lacks an oval top-10 and may need steady top-15s to advance based on recent point benchmarks.
• He has clinched Rookie of the Year and is tied for the season lead in wins at four, all earned on road or street courses.
• Insiders are split on his outlook, with Alex Hayden and Todd Gordon touting a Round of 8 path and Dale Earnhardt Jr. skeptical of a Round of 16 escape, as van Gisbergen says he feels no pressure and aims to prove critics wrong.