Shane van Gisbergen made a remarkable debut in the NASCAR Cup Series. The three-time Supercars Champion took the #91 car of the Trackhouse Racing Team to victory lane at the Chicago Street Course in his first time asking. He is set to return for his second appearance in the Cup Series at the Indianapolis Road Course come Sunday.

With anticipation building for Shane van Gisbergen’s return to NASCAR action in Indianapolis, Dale Earnhardt Jr invited him on the sets of The Dale Jr. Download podcast. Their intriguing conversation shed light on the dynamic world of NASCAR racing. SVG, on the back of a remarkable debut victory, discussed a fascinating aspect of the sport with Dale Jr.

Shane van Gisbergen discusses the intense racing in Stage 3 of Cup races

While discussing the challenges of running in a Cup Series race, Dale Jr brought up the topic of intense racing in NASCAR. He elaborated on the different stages of a race, highlighting the stark contrast in drivers’ attitudes as the race progresses. SVG was quick to agree with him and recalled how he felt that shift in intensity during his debut race in Chicago.

“If you watched COTA right? You saw a lot of those guys just getting taken advantage of. They had no idea how bonkers that entry to 1 was gonna be on the restarts later in the race. The intensity completely changes in the third stage,” said Dale Jr.

“Yeah, like the start of our race was pretty cruisy at Chicago,” SVG replied, adding, “And I let someone go, I think it was Tyler Reddick, he let me go back, and in the end after one of the restarts, it was just… it was like a switch was flipped, it was nuts.”

“That’s another thing yeah. So Stage 1, like at the beginning of race, everybody’s cool. Like, we got ways to go,” Dale Jr said, adding, “Stage 2, still wanna survive, everybody takes care of each other. And then stage 3, scr*w you, scr*w everybody, and especially like at Indy. Indy is going to be very similar. Turn 1 at Indy is very similar to COTA right? Wide racetrack, bottleneck down into nothing.”

SVG’s vivid comparison of feeling like a “switch was flipped” between the initial stages and the final stage adds a new layer of insight into the adrenaline-filled world of NASCAR racing. Amidst the anticipation of the race on Sunday, there’s one thing van Gisbergen was particularly excited about. And that was seeing his old rival, buddy, and fellow Supercars Champion, Scott McLaughlin, as he gets ready to take on the challenge in the IndyCar.

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Shane van Gisbergen’s NASCAR journey has not only ignited his own aspirations. But also kindled the desire to see his old sparring partner, Scott McLaughlin, on the NASCAR grid. He expressed the hope that McLaughlin, a fellow multiple Supercars Champion and Bathurst 1000 winner, would join him as a road course wildcard entry in the future. The camaraderie between the two Kiwi drivers was evident as SVG observed McLaughlin’s preparations for his IndyCar race.

SVG’s admiration for McLaughlin’s talent and his enthusiasm for a potential NASCAR collaboration was palpable. McLaughlin reciprocated the sentiment. Acknowledging Van Gisbergen’s presence during his simulator session and highlighting the differences between NASCAR and IndyCar machinery on the Indianapolis Road Course.

“It would be cool to have him [McLaughlin] join,” said SVG according to motorsport.com. “He should?ve done a wildcard this weekend. He was at the simulator when I was. So they invited me to sit-in on his session and I got to listen for a bit and watch how he was driving and how that side of things work. It was very cool to see and it?s awesome to be in a similar world to him again.”

“I felt it was cool to have him here, come into our session, just watch me race around for a little bit,” McLaughlin later said. “It was funny to see the differences between a NASCAR and an IndyCar?he was laughing at that.”

As SVG prepares for his NASCAR journey. Fans are eager to witness the captivating shifts in intensity and the potential entry of a familiar face into the NASCAR arena.

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