It looks like Shane van Gisbergen‘s success in NASCAR has opened the gates for many others. From becoming the first driver in 60 years to win on his Cup Series debut to continuing that success in the Xfinity Series with his win last weekend at Portland, the Kiwi has certainly adapted to the world of NASCAR rather quickly. Following the same route, Australian drivers Cam Waters and Will Brown will soon make their Cup Series debuts this weekend at Sonoma Raceway.

Supercars championship leader Will Brown and Tickford Racing ace Cam Waters have put in time in May for their seat fits at RFK Racing and Richard Childress Racing. With the Australian Supercars contenders leaving behind their battle to acquaint themselves with the Next-Gen car, SVG couldn’t help but feel the need to get out on track himself.

Unfortunately, the Xfinity Series driver doesn’t have an opportunity for the Cup race this weekend, sidelining him from the big day for Cam Waters and Will Brown. Reflecting on the same, he told Supercars, “I always wanted to try NASCAR one day and go there, and then now it seems like the floodgates are open a bit. I’m certainly jealous of them, you know, I wish I was doing that race with them, it’d be fun.”

Whilst it’s safe to say fans would’ve been delighted to see Gisbergen battle it out with his former Supercars championship rivals, the Kiwi was rather optimistic. After he had stunned the crowd in Chicago with his debut win, it’s safe to say both Waters and Brown stand a shot at upsetting Cup Series veterans this weekend.

Shane van Gisbergen concluded, “I’m excited for those guys more than anything, just to see how they’ll go. They get a long practice — 50 minutes — and a new, freshly sealed racetrack. So yeah, I think those guys will be pretty competitive, and I hope they are as well.”

Clearly, this stands as a warning for NASCAR veterans. SVG is excited to see new names dominate. Although Van Gisbergen may not be able to have a reunion with his former rivals on Sonoma’s tarmac, not all is doom and gloom. Fortunately for the Kiwi, his former rivals are also equally good friends.

A reluctant Shane van Gisbergen just couldn’t say no to Will Brown’s request!

Whilst Cam Waters, Will Brown, and Shane van Gisbergen were fierce rivals during their time in Australian Supercars, all that competition was forgotten at the dinner table. This is when the Kiwi was presented with an enticing yet intimidating opportunity. With SVG’s experience in Cup Series racing, his inputs during his rivals’ debut would certainly help smoothen the transition to left-hand drive.

This prompted Will Brown to ask Shane van Gisbergen to be his spotter for the Sonoma 250. However, the Kiwi was initially reluctant. He stated, “I’m going to be spotting for Will this weekend, which will be cool to see what that side of it’s like…He just asked me if I wanted to do it, and I said no straight away because I don’t really like talking that much!”

With communication being the biggest factor that determines a good spotter, SVG felt his personality just didn’t line up with the job. But after much persuasion, the driver caved into a secondary role. He stated, “But then he said I’d be the secondary spotter, not the main one, which is only one corner, so I should be able to handle that. Should be a good place to watch as well down there.”

Waters was a runner-up to the New Zealander in the 2022 Supercars season. However, he caught up with van Gisbergen in April at Martinsville, where he made his Truck Series debut.

Now, despite not having a seat for the Sonoma 250, SVG will get a taste of competition after all. Only this time, instead of competing against Will Brown, he will be assisting his former rival against the Cup Series veterans.