The iconic No. 88 car will feature at the 2025 Daytona 500 race for the first time since 2017. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Kiwi driver Shane van Gisbergen will make his rookie appearance with Trackhouse Racing, continuing the legacy of the #88 car. The number isn’t just associated with the former HMS driver; the likes of Ralph Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, and Dale Jarrett have piloted this race car over the years in NASCAR.

And now SVG will take command of this iconic ride to script a new chapter in the illustrious history of this race car. Although the 2025 Daytona 500 race is months away, the new recruits at Trackhouse Racing are already building up the hype for the historic event. Obviously, the focus was on the #88 car, and both Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch linked it to promote the car for the Great American race.

Shane van Gisbergen is eager to experience his first Daytona 500

“I was lucky to run a few numbers with so much rich history. Excited to see @shanevg97 and @TeamTrackhouse add a new chapter to it. 88 will have a good home there.” This was Dale Jr. giving his blessing to SVG and Trackhouse to bring the #88 car back to life after a seven-year hiatus. The choice of his number is indeed a bold one given the list of legendary drivers who have graced this race car. But, it’s fair to say that the #88 is in good hands with Shane van Gisbergen as he looks to script more history on the NASCAR stage.

Now we’ve seen NASCAR promote its historic race well before the events, but the team at Trackhouse was indeed creative with their hype post for the Daytona 500. Cup rookie Shane van Gisbergen and Trackhouse prodigy Connor Zilisch were the stars of a video post on the team’s Instagram handle. The theme was to promote the return of the #88 car with SVG for his Daytona 500 debut. And it turned out pretty well.

“Hey Connor, how many days is it till the Daytona 500?” asked SVG. To which Zilisch replied, “It’s 88; come on, you should know that. Come on, Ronald, 88 days till the Daytona 500.” The post shared by Trackhouse Racing was captioned, “How many days until the Daytona 500? We asked the experts. 😉”

Well, both SVG and Zilisch are part of the expansion plans for Justin Mark’s brainchild. Trackhouse was in the news throughout the year to field a third car for 2025. And as SHR announced its exit from NASCAR, the team began its expansion driver.

While there were multiple drivers that the team could’ve opted for, they’ve put their faith in SVG.

SVG has exceeded expectations in NASCAR

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Drivers can have a lucky break while racing in NASCAR, but SVG’s rise in the sport is a combination of perseverance, grit, and his ability to adapt to new challenges. He etched his name in the history books by winning the maiden Chicago Street Race event for Trackhouse. One big advantage SVG had was his experience in the Supercars Tour. The category features cars similar to the NASCAR series which run on road course tracks. It made the Chicago win a cakewalk for SVG. And that was his ticket to a full-time ride with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series.

After Trackhouse announced its plans with the #88 car, SVG came out with a heartwarming message for his time in the Xfinity Series. He said, “I know there is a tough learning curve ahead, but the best way to learn is to go out and do it. I feel I have made progress running the Xfinity Series this year with Kaulig Racing and I can’t thank everyone there enough. I look forward to the Cup Series.”

Three race wins, a playoff appearance, and a good streak of Cup Series appearances are what SVG has achieved in 2024. Oval racing is something that SVG is still trying to improve on, but he’s learning the tricks of the trade. Out of the four top 5 finishes he had in 2024, two of them came on traditional oval tracks like Atlanta and Indiana Motor Speedway. In the Cup Series, a P12 finish at Martinsville was his best on the traditional oval tracks, apart from the missed opportunity at Watkins Glen.

With a total of five road course races next year along with an international trip, Shane van Gisbergen will be poised to make an instant impact. Moreover, it will be interesting to see how he fares up against the top dogs of NASCAR racing on the ovals as well.