The NASCAR Cup Series has never raced on the streets of San Diego.
But if you ask a growing number of fans, the winner may have already been decided.
With the inaugural San Diego street race at Naval Base Coronado scheduled for June 21, social media has been flooded with predictions that Shane van Gisbergen will once again dominate the field when NASCAR heads to a road-course-style layout.
The latest wave of discussion came after Dirty Mo Media’s “Door Bumper Clear” account shared a bold prediction from its “Spot On, Spot Off” segment.
“SVG will win the race at San Diego by more than 10 seconds.”
Instead of debating the prediction, many fans appeared to accept it as reality.
One response quickly stood out.
“He already won. We’re showing up to award 2nd thru 40th place points.”
The comment summed up a sentiment that has become increasingly common whenever van Gisbergen arrives at a road or street course.
For many NASCAR fans, the conversation is no longer whether SVG can win.
It’s whether anyone can stay close enough to make it interesting.
Why Fans Believe SVG Is Untouchable
The confidence comes from what van Gisbergen has done since arriving in NASCAR.
The New Zealander has established himself as the sport’s most feared road-course racer, piling up victories while routinely making elite Cup Series drivers look ordinary on layouts that require heavy braking zones, technical corners and precision.
Van Gisbergen has won seven of his 13 NASCAR starts on road or street courses, including four of his last five.
His most recent road-course victory only added fuel to the hype.
At Watkins Glen, van Gisbergen overcame a massive deficit after falling nearly 30 seconds behind the leader and dropping deep into the field. He charged back through the pack and still won by more than seven seconds.
That performance left many fans wondering whether the rest of the field can realistically challenge him on a brand-new street circuit.
Not Everyone Is Ready to Hand Him the Trophy
While plenty of fans agreed with the prediction, others weren’t quite ready to declare the race over.
One fan predicted a closer finish:
“Nah Connor is gonna be able to stay within 10 seconds.”
Another pointed out that cautions could change everything.
“If it ran green maybe but we’re totally getting a late yellow.”
Still, even those pushing back generally acknowledged the same reality: van Gisbergen enters San Diego as the overwhelming favorite.
The 3.4-mile Naval Base Coronado circuit is expected to reward many of the same skills that have made him dominant on road and street courses throughout his racing career.
That’s why some fans aren’t treating San Diego as a race preview.
They’re treating it like a coronation.
Whether van Gisbergen delivers another masterclass remains to be seen.
But six days before NASCAR even takes the green flag in San Diego, a large portion of the fanbase already seems convinced they know exactly how the story ends.
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This article was originally published on HEAVY
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