Shane van Gisbergen has been there and done that. The Auckland-based racing driver is a three-time Supercars Champion, has competed in various endurance races like the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 12 Hours of Sebring, and raced in the IMSA SportsCar Championship. But despite his many motorsports adventures over the years, the 36-year-old has some unfinished business that he would like to attend to one day.
With the NASCAR Cup Series keeping him busy, Van Gisbergen has his hands full in the world of stock car racing at the moment. But he’s not closing the doors to pursuing another motorsports discipline in the future, one that his father was involved in back in the day.
Shane van Gisbergen has unfinished business
Shane van Gisbergen is making waves at NASCAR’s highest level. Despite a disappointing start to his rookie season, the Kiwi racer has already secured wins in Mexico City and Chicago, and could potentially enter Victory Lane again at Sonoma Raceway. Competing in stock car racing was a part of his bucket list since a while, and a dream he has managed to fulfill after being given an opportunity by Trackhouse Racing. But he also revealed another motorsports discipline that he would love to dive back into.
Speaking to Kevin Harvick on the Happy Hour podcast, Shane van Gisbergen was asked if other competitions intrigue him. The veteran racer responded, “I would still love to do more rally car stuff. I love rallying and only really got to do it for a season and a half. I would love to give rallying a bit more of a go. That was my dad’s background and what he was into. We sort of put a deal together, and he helped me run for the last couple of years. I loved going rallying with him. Probably want to do more rallying.”
Van Gisbergen has extensive rally experience, having competed in both Australia and New Zealand over the years. During the 2023 season, he took part in four rounds of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship and also scored an outright Australian Rally Championship podium. If that wasn’t enough, he also has a WRC2 podium at the 2022 Repco Rally New Zealand along with a ninth-place WRC finish the same year.
BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN – AUGUST 16: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #97 Safety Culture Chevrolet, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway on August 16, 2024 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Clearly, Shane van Gisbergen seems to have some unfinished business in the rallying world. Perhaps a few years later, when he has made a mark in the NASCAR world, the Auckland-native will look to go back to his roots and follow his father’s footsteps. But for now, with just a handful of races remaining before the playoffs begin, the 36-year-old has his sights set firmly on the Bill France Cup. After all, his journey in stock car racing has only just begun.
Van Gisbergen reveals difference between NASCAR and Supercars
Few drivers are as versatile as Shane van Gisbergen. While his performances on oval tracks leave much to be desired, the Kiwi racer is steadily improving in the format while showing unparalleled dominance on road courses. Despite being a rookie, ‘SVG’ isn’t exactly inexperienced as a racing driver, having made a name for himself in the Supercars Championship. And in a candid conversation with Kevin Harvick, he outlined the differences between the two racing series.
Van Gisbergen said, “I guess just the efficiency of everything on a weekend. Like the weekends are so much shorter, but there’s so much more racing stuff involved. The driver intros the anthem like the pre-race stuff here that they do is fantastic, like you get so wound up before the race. My favorite pre-race is Talladega; you see how emotional everyone is, and the anthem’s pumping, and then this truck just comes roaring through with the big flag on. It’s epic, you know. So, we don’t really do that as much at home.”
Shane van Gisbergen is enjoying life at the moment. He won the Cup and Xfinity Series races in Chicago last weekend, qualifying on pole for both. It’s a feat that was last achieved by Kyle Busch at Indianapolis Motor Speedway back in 2016. But despite the dominance, SVG isn’t getting carried away and wants to make further gains, saying, “We got to get into the 10th to 15th area.” Having already won at Sonoma once before, could he extend that winning streak this weekend? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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