CONCORD, N.C. -- Many NASCAR drivers face a strategy dilemma heading to Watkins Glen International. Shane van Gisbergen is not a member of this group.
The Trackhouse Racing driver has one very simple goal this week.
"We haven't really talked about it too much, but I'd rather go for the win," van Gisbergen told a select group of media members on Wednesday.
The reason this is a conversation is the way road course races play out in the stage racing era. If a driver believes they have a shot at the win, they will pit with a few laps remaining in each stage so that they can cycle to the front on the subsequent restart.
This strategy takes away the opportunity to get stage points or the stage win, but it potentially puts these drivers in position to battle for the win in the final stage.
Drivers who don't believe they will be in contention for the race win will take the opposite strategy. They will stay out on the track while other drivers pit, and they will try to score the maximum number of stage points. They accumulate points early while sacrificing track position.
Van Gisbergen, the winner of three consecutive road course races, is the rare example of a driver who can take one strategy but still score extra points. This is what he did at Sonoma Raceway.
The Trackhouse Racing driver gave up the lead at the end of the first two stages so that he could pit early. However, he built up such a lead that he still scored the most stage points at the California road course after pitting. He scored nine stage points in the opening stage and then he won the second stage after passing Kyle Larson, who had stayed out.
Van Gisbergen ultimately won the race and headed to victory lane for the third time this season.
Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography
"I'm sure we'll just do it like a Sonoma," van Gisbergen said about Watkins Glen. "We still came out of there with big points. We got a playoff point, shortening stages. So kind of, I guess, you've got to go for the win rather than stage points or playoff points in the stage."
Van Gisbergen has the luxury of being able to decide which strategy to pursue. After all, he has three wins this season and 17 playoff points, which puts him in a tie for the third-most in the series. If he scores another win, he locks up five additional playoff points and further builds his cushion to the cutline.
Extra playoff points will be significant considering that the opening round of the playoffs contains one track he likes (Darlington), one track he has never visited (Gateway), and one track where he struggled (Bristol).
If he can navigate his way through this opening slate of races, he will put himself into a round featuring a road course. This would set him up to potentially reach the Round of 8 in his first playoff appearance.
"There's probably more chance getting through that round than the first round," van Gisbergen said. "So, yeah, who knows what can happen, but I feel like if you just... That first round, if you make no mistakes and have three good weeks, you'll get through.
"That's what normally seems to happen. There's normally one or two big dogs that have a couple of bad races and miss out, so you've just got to be mistake-free."
Of course, the playoffs are weeks away. Right now, van Gisbergen's focus remains on Watkins Glen and his opportunity to score another win after finishing second to Chris Buescher last season.
He won't implement any cute strategies as he pursues this goal. He will just head to the road course and do what has worked in the past.