How do you survive in a foreign land when you have no one to rely on and no one to communicate with? Racing is always about going out and testing the limits, adjusting to situations, and getting the right person by your side when the road gets tough. At least, that has been the case for Helio Castroneves, and he counts among those individuals one of Supercars’ biggest stars, Shane van Gisbergen.

In a recent interview, Castroneves remembered one of the most important moments in his career. It occurred more than ten years ago when he was driving in Australia’s Supercars Championship, known as the Super Cup. However, the experience was far from easy for the Brazilian IndyCar superstar.

Helio Castroneves recalls how he overcame an unfamiliar ground with guidance from SVG

Queensland Raceway, with its unique demands, presented Castroneves with a challenge he hadn’t faced before. This was an international race that had attracted some of the world’s best drivers. The unfamiliar setup threw off his braking points, his rhythm, and ultimately his confidence.

“It was so tough and so exciting,” Castroneves remembered. “It was my first time driving on the right-hand side instead of the left, and I was having such a hard time.” Even for an experienced driver and three-time Indy 500 champion at the time, it proved to be an uphill battle. That’s when fate—and a friendly competitor—intervened. Enter ‘Coach’ Shane van Gisbergen.

SVG had been racing for Stone Brothers since 2007 while Castroneves had joined the set-up for James Rosenberg in 2010. Rather than letting Castroneves figure it out on his own, Van Gisbergen stepped in, giving valuable insights on braking zones, positioning, car, and technique. “He saw I was having a hard time finding the braking point, it was so difficult and so interesting. He came over and gave me a lot of tips,” Castroneves said. “I improved about a second and a half, and I was like, ‘From now on, you’re going to be my coach!'”

That was the boost that made all the difference for Helio Castroneves, who never forgot the impact of van Gisbergen’s advice with him finishing his career best of 10th position in his last race in 2011. Fast-forward to today and the two racing greats found themselves together at crossroads with Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91. Castroneves, four-time Indy 500 champion, has returned to the NASCAR Cup Series, a discipline where van Gisbergen has recently made waves. Ironically, Castroneves finds himself once again seeking guidance from his old ‘coach’. “I told him, ‘Look, coach, you went back again, so you gotta give me tips again!'” Castroneves joked. “And he’s been great from the beginning to the end, he’s been very, very good, and we’ve reconnected again.”

A moment of mentorship has mushroomed into mutual admiration between two of the world’s leading racers. A three-time Supercars champion, Van Gisbergen, has demonstrated the adaptability in NASCAR that has won him his first, inaugural race in Chicago and has progressed impressively. Castroneves, meanwhile, continues to be a power within motorsport, easily crossing over from one discipline to another, unrelenting in the relentless energy that defines his career.

One of those beautiful stories is about camaraderie in racing. Competition runs hot, but the respect is something deeper. To Helio Castroneves, those are lessons he learned all those years ago in Australia that shape the way he goes about tackling new challenges. But one thing for sure is he knows exactly whom to call every time he’s facing a roadblock.

SVG sailed through the cultural shock of racing in America

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On February 16, Shane Van Gisbergen will take on the Daytona 500 in the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro for Trackhouse Racing, marking the beginning of what could be a groundbreaking season. Following an impressive 2024 season in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing, expectations are high for him as one of the most highly anticipated international drivers in NASCAR history. His success could inspire more global talent to explore opportunities in American stock car racing.

While road courses remain his strength, his ability to adapt to NASCAR’s diverse track types will determine his long-term impact. The three-time Australian Supercars champion has embraced his new life in the United States, appreciating the freedom to express himself without fear of backlash. In a recent interview with the Daytona Beach News-Journal, van Gisbergen contrasted the cultural differences between NASCAR and Australian Supercars, “If Denny Hamlin was in Australia, he’d be kicked out. But here … He’s polarizing, but people accept it and love him for who he is,” he shared.

According to van Gisbergen, drivers in Supercars often suppress their opinions to avoid harsh criticism, whereas in NASCAR, authenticity is not just accepted but encouraged. As van Gisbergen settles into the Cup Series, he faces a steep learning curve, particularly on ovals and intermediate tracks. Despite his dominant road course performances, he acknowledges that NASCAR’s weekly grind and high-speed oval racing remain challenging. “The oval stuff is crazy,” he admitted, highlighting the difficulty of adapting to intermediate tracks where speeds and handling dynamics are vastly different.

While he feels relatively comfortable on short tracks and super-speedways, he recognizes that mastering intermediates will be a major hurdle. He believes the Cup car’s design should suit him better on paper, but the real test will come once he gets on track. If he can translate his skill into consistent results, he may not only thrive in NASCAR but also reshape the perception of international drivers in the sport.