Van Gisbergen is now locked into the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs courtesy of a win at the road course of Portland, a not especially unexpected outcome for the former Supercars driver.

However, it is ovals where he is still far from comfortable but Rice is honest about Kaulig, where the New Zealander was placed by Trackhouse Racing, adding to the challenge.

“Truthfully, we’ve got to get better as a team, right?” he admitted.

“We gauge Texas and then Charlotte and he cut the deficit to AJ [Allmendinger] by over half, by like a second, and that’s what we’ve got to get better as a team.

“Last week [Charlotte], we ran 15th with AJ – he actually was going to have a best finish probably – so we’ve got to get better at the ovals as a team and, once we do that, you’ll see Shane get better and better.

“So, we recognise that. We got behind last year, on our own fault, and we even got behind here [at Portland].

“This is the first time we brought two great road racers that can help us here. Last time we won here was a rain race, so we got behind here last year, we didn’t run that well, so it hurts.

“So, once we get better at the ovals, Shane will get better, and once we can win at the ovals as a team, that will help him know what he needs to do.

“So, some of it’s on us. We’re not putting it all on him.

“Even on the Cup side, he did well at Charlotte, he was turning screws up there and it got obviously shortened.

“So, we know, as a group, where we’re at, and our partners at Trackhouse, they took a chance on him, so they know that also.”

Van Gisbergen cautioned that he is a “long way” from winning an oval race.

“I have more interest on winning on an oval, and I’m a long way from that, and I understand that, but it’s a process,” said the three-time Bathurst 1000 winner.

“These guys have been doing it since they were kids whereas this stuff [road courses], I’ve been doing since I was a kid.

“I’ve got a lot to learn on the ovals but we keep getting better and keep focusing and one day I’ll win on an oval.

“I know it’s probably a long way away, but I’m going to keep learning and that’s the next goal.”

Van Gisbergen does have another big chance of victory this weekend with the Xfinity still in road course mode at Sonoma Raceway.

Practice starts on Friday at 16:05 ET/Saturday at 06:05 AEST.

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