by Shane Van Gisbergen’s world has been turned upside down. Literally, in a geographical sense.
It was only a year and a half ago that Trackhouse Racing and NASCAR co-owner Justin Marks introduced Van Gisbergen to American Stock Car fans at Chicago’s inaugural street race – inviting the three-time Australian Supercars champion for a occasional visit to the other side of the world and, by the way, to the other side of the cockpit.
The stars couldn’t have aligned better. It was a tight street course, which suited Van Gisbergen’s skills. It was also an unfamiliar course for all NASCAR drivers, so there were no “infield” advantages that have familiarity. Then it rained, and racing in the rain on a wet track might have been a culture shock for many, but not for the man known in the paddock as SVG.
He won the race and nothing has been the same since. With more and more road courses on the NASCAR schedule, and an obvious road racing ace interested in NASCAR – and vice versa – the wheels started turning and before long, Trackhouse had a deal in place.
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The team originally planned to cobble together a 2024 schedule involving a handful of races in various series, but it quickly became married into a full-time Xfinity race with a dozen Cup races included. He won three Xfinity races, all on road courses, over a six-race span early this summer, and his best cut was a runner-up at Watkins Glen.
Along the way during his SUVs Ventures, he found himself in the biggest Cup Series crash in history, when more than two dozen cars became part of a “big one” at Talladega.
This year, he graduates to the Cup Series full-time as Trackhouse expands to three cars, adding a No. 88 Chevy to the roster – track veterans Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez are his teammates. SVG begins its 2025 season by sharing a Corvette in this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. He is no stranger to the Rolex, having made six previous starts.
He arrived in Daytona Beach recently with the Rolex Front and Center, but Talk also looked ahead to his possible return in February, the challenge that follows, and how his new home – north of Charlotte in Mooresville – differs from the Australia and his native New Zealand.
Shane van Gisbergen had no NASCAR intentions in 2023
News-Journal: When you went to Chicago in 2023, was a NASCAR career even on your radar?
SVG: “The month or two before this race, I had signed a contract to continue racing in Australia. So I had no intention of moving to NASCAR. It was just a one-off run, but it worked.
“My life has done a complete 180, but they’re very nice and cool experiences, and it’s good to try something different.”
NEW JERSEY: Not even a passing thought of trying NASCAR?
SVG: “No, none at all.”
NEW JERSEY: Obvious question, but what was the biggest transition?
SVG: “Race every week. And the ovals. Oval things are crazy. The short things I’m good at and the superspeedways, but the intermediates are ridiculous – the speeds they go and the way the cars handle. The mug car, on paper, should be better for me, but I’ll find out.
NEW JERSEY: Do you think you have adapted to daily life here?
SVG: “Live stuff is OK. It’s a little different when you first move, but once you’re set up, it’s fine. And I spent the summer in New Zealand. »
New Jersey: That’s right, our winter is your summer at home.
SVG: “Yeah, so I come back here and it’s terrible (weather). I wish I was back home a little longer.
Shane van Gisbergen ready for ‘epic’ Daytona 500 atmosphere
New Jersey: Your first Daytona 500 is coming. What do you think of this?
SVG: “I’m not trying to get caught up in the hype of things like that. I remember watching it last year. Even though it was a Monday, the atmosphere was epic. I’m trying not to get overexcited, but it will be a pretty cool experience, I imagine. “
NEW JERSEY: You did some “restrictor plate” racing on SuperSpeedways last year. Thoughts on this form of running?
SVG: “I don’t know. I feel like you’re a lamb for the slaughter, feeding yourself, ready to be in a big crash. It’s funny sometimes, you know, when it’s four wide. But you know it can go wrong in an instant and it won’t be fun.
“I’ve had great success here (Daytona) at Xfinity, and it’s not that nice. I was in the biggest crash ever (Talladega), but I got through it. »
NEW JERSEY: By modern driver standards, you’re practically a giant. What is your official height and weight?
SVG: “6-3, 215 or 220 pounds.”
NEW JERSEY: Any advantages to being taller than others?
SVG: “No, it’s still a negative as a driver.”
NEW JERSEY: From the outside, Trackhouse and Justin Marks seem like a good group to join. What is Justin’s secret?
SVG: “Just the attitude towards everything, how forward-thinking he is. When I did Chicago, it was only supposed to be one race. Then we did the next race at Indy, shortly after. He said, “I can put something together for you. This is mainly for ’25’. But in ’24, I could do three Cup races and seven Xfinity races, with the promise of 2025.
“I believed in him. It turned into a full Xfinity season and 12 Cup races, which is way more than I expected. Then, the commitment he made to seek out another charter and build a whole team around the 88 and me.
“It inspires me too. For me, that’s what I needed. It was getting a bit stale in Australia. It was a good time in my life. Before I’m too old, I can go get a good crack at something else.
NASCAR Cup Series goals for SVG?
NEW JERSEY: You became a fan favorite pretty quickly.
SVG: “It’s been great. I feel in America you can also be yourself, say whatever you want.
NEW JERSEY: Isn’t that the case at home?
SVG: “No, you just shut down. If Denny Hamlin was in Australia he would be deported. But here…he’s polarizing, but people accept him and love him for who he is. You couldn’t be like Denny in Australia, speaking your mind, which might be a harsh truth. People here accept you because you are yourself.
NEW JERSEY: What were the big fits from an Australian supercar to a NASCAR stock lineup?
SVG: “The NASCAR car has no doors. No windows. It’s strange, feeling the air in the car. Being on the other side (of the cockpit) is probably the biggest difference. And the gearbox is different. It’s good when it’s sequential. When it’s an H pattern, it’s more difficult.
NEW JERSEY: Goals for 2025 at NASCAR?
SVG: “End with a smile on my face.”
NEW JERSEY: Are you saying this didn’t happen sometimes?
SVG: “A lot.”
New Jersey: Could these be the years where you didn’t win a bunch of races and a championship?
SVG: “No. Last year was one of the best years of my life and I finished 50th or something. But I had so much fun. You work with good people all the time who just love racing »
This article originally appeared in the Daytona Beach Journal: Shane Van Gisbergen Talks Daytona 500, NASCAR and Denny Hamlin | Q&A
