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Whirlwind is a word that fits perfectly to describe the current scenario in the world of motorsports. Whether in Formula 1 or NASCAR, things have indeed been at sixes and sevens within the team camps. From the news of Daniel Ricciardo returning to Formula 1 after the ousting of Nyck deVries and Lewis Hamilton winning the pole for the Hungarian GP to NASCAR’s star-studded driver roster for the race at Indianapolis in August, motorsports fanatics are panting to keep up with the recent occurrences.

The return of Shane Van Gisbergen for the second time in NASCAR was not speculated by anyone. It seems that the Kiwi’s stint with the world of stock car racing is surely not a temporary one, as conjectures are on the rise that the driver may make his full-time entry earlier than expected, but which team shall he take the leap of faith with? Let’s find out.

Justin Marks walks on the backtrack as he invites SVG for a second time

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When the 3x Supercar champion made his NASCAR earlier in June on the streets of Chicago, hardly did motorheads expect that he would be sweeping the inaugural race the way he did, where the veteran Cup Series driver ended up in a ridiculous ‘logjam’. Moreover, there is no denying the fact it was through the initiative of Trackhouse Racing and Project 91 that the world witnessed the prowess of the Kiwi and was charmed by his racing skills.

With such an impeccable performance, NASCAR fans were left wanting for more from the Kiwi driver, but to everybody’s disappointment the co-owner of Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks revealed that he won’t be fielding the Project 91 car anymore in the season. 

He expressed to the media, “Beyond probably 3 races [in a year], it starts to become a third team. It starts to really kind of drain — not drain, but take resources from the 1 [Ross Chastain] and the 99 [Daniel Suárez] car, which is what we’re really focused on at Trackhouse, getting both of those cars in the championship, being able to make a championship run.”

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Nevertheless, it seems that there is more than what meets the eye, as Trackhouse Racing went back on its words and announced that SVG would be returning for the second time to field the No.91 Chevrolet in Brickyard, scheduled in August. However, the surprise does not seem to end there as it might perhaps be the inception of the next chapter for Van Gisbergen which can apparently be the biggest loss for Red Bull, for he might exit early from the Supercar championship and join NASCAR by next season. 

NASCAR Insiders fan the speculation of SVG joining NASCAR for a full-time

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Many might find these speculations a figment of imagination, but they do hold water, and many industry insiders believe in them. Even veteran journalist Adam Stern from Sports Business Journal asserted the fact after he posted a report published by V8-sleuth on Twitter. The post read, “It’s now considered almost a formality that [Shane van Gisbergen] will switch full-time to NASCAR as soon as next year.” – @V8Sleuth.”

Nonetheless, the question that arises at this juncture is how this move will affect SVG’s current partner in the Oceanic Islands, Red Bull, or is it a deliberate move by both the beverage giant as well as the driver? And which team will SVG join if he chooses to make his full-time debut in the world of NASCAR?

To address the first question, the exit of Van Gisbergen will surely be a big blow to Red Bull, which might have to be on the lookout for the next Supercar champion in order to maintain its dominance across the various formats of motorsport. On the other hand, it is still a part of the speculation, and assured answers are yet to be found, but this might be the biggest opportunity that the team can capitalize upon and finally make headway in the world of stock car racing.

To answer the second question, SVG, who has proven his adaptability as a driver, is surely a favorite for a majority of the teams; however, given the charter system and the availability of seats, Trackhouse Racing is surely a favorite, as they would retain the driver and field a three-car team. However, the affordability of a third charter makes Kaulig Racing the biggest contender in the free-agent market.

The reason being that Justin Haley’s departure from the team and joining Rick Ware Racing for the next season has created an opening to recruit another driver. This may also answer the probability of Red Bull entering NASCAR and providing sponsorship to the team.

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Fans add fuel to the speculation as they divide over the possible teams for the Trackhouse Racing driver

While these arrows are all shot in the dark and are yet to be confirmed by the teams, fans, on the other hand, also believe in SVG joining Kaulig Racing or Trackhouse Racing.

They wrote on Twitter;

Three-car Trackhouse team?”

“I would think that Trackhouse would like to hang onto SVG. But there is room at Kaulig right now as you said.”

 

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“31 or 91 car right?”

“This is the only answer to the Kaulig mystery.”

If things, as speculated, turn out to be true, NASCAR will surely see a change in its long history, but for now, fans are surely awaiting the star-studded race on the tracks of Brickyard.

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