andJust like NASCAR is to America, Supercars is to Australia. And the influx of drivers that NASCAR has witnessed from Supercars is noteworthy. This is what Leigh Diffey is excited about as he himself makes the transition to NASCAR. The upward trajectory of this American motorsport is exciting for not just broadcasters, but the entire motorsport fraternity.

Case in point, Trackhouse Racing’s latest announcement about launching Shane van Gisbergen in the NASCAR Cup Series. SVG has displayed phenomenal potential in other NASCAR series for two years. His entry to the top series brings to mind the role played by the ones who lit the path before him.

What is the emotional debt that Diffey is talking about?

As Leigh Diffey is preparing himself to take on the NASCAR booth of NBC, he has been digging deep into the sport for better insights later. He took a primer on the current season and got fascinated with how Supercars stars are shining in NASCAR and tweeted his thoughts. It is not just one or two that we’re talking about. NASCAR has been fielding ATCC drivers ever since Frank Gardner raced in the Cup Series back in 1968.

Repco Supercars Championship, formally the Australian Touring Car Championship, is Australasia’s premier motorsport series. It started off with a single-race series but has grown to become the world’s best touring car category. When drivers reach a peak in one category of racing, it tends to get monotonous and they diversify to find new challenges. This is why many drivers have followed Gardner’s suit.

But there’s one driver whose name stands out in the list. That name is Marcos Ambrose. The Devil Racer took the NASCAR world by storm when he debuted in 2006 in the NASCAR Truck Series. He took 2 years to transition to the Cup Series, but his first win in the top series did not come until 2011, and became the first Australian to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. He also won the Nationwide, now Xfinity, race at Watkins Glen for 5 consecutive years.

The Tasmanian driver is the real reason Shane van Gisbergen, or Richard Childress’ star drivers Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown got to make it big in the American motorsport. RCR was quick to figure out the right Supercars fit for its team in the aftermath of Kostecki’s bitter fallout. This explains what importance Supercars drivers hold in NASCAR now.

And Supercars benefits equally from its drivers winning in NASCAR. Supercars CEO Shane Howard divulged the overseas traction gained by the series when SVG won his Cup debut at the Chicago Street Course and Kostecki nearly clinched the top-10 qualifier for the Indy circuit.

However, these drivers require a lot of training and support to make a smooth transition from touring cars to stock cars.

How does Ambrose help van Gisbergen with his performance?

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Shane van Gisbergen disclosed the role that Marcos Ambrose plays in his NASCAR career. When talking to Corey LaJoie on Stacking Pennies, SVG said, “Marcus has been great because he’s been, you know, it’s been 15 years ago or whatever. But he’s done this transition that I’m doing. So, he’s been through it.”

There’s a lot of noise when a rookie driver tries to find their footing in a series, but SVG says he knows how to filter it out. It comes with experience, and then there is a relatability factor. Although Kevin Harvick and his ‘crew chief on call,’ Bruce Schlicker from Kaulig Racing, have been generous and kind to impart knowledge. The support that SVG gets from Ambrose is different because they’ve both worn the same shoes.

Ambrose was the Supercars champion in 2003 & 2004, while SVG held the championship in 2016, 2021 & 2022. Both the drivers have displayed raw speed and great race craft. It is everyone’s hope that SVG builds upon Ambrose’s legacy and reaches greater heights in NASCAR as he did in Supercars.