Shane van Gisbergen has a glaring weakness. The Kiwi will be competing in his first full season in the Cup Series, an exciting prospect for a driver who made his NASCAR debut in 2023 with a win at the Chicago street race. It has been quite a journey for the 35-year-old since then, who has secured impressive results at Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series while competing at the highest level in a part-time capacity.

The 2025 campaign will be a brand-new challenge for the veteran racer, who will be hoping to live to up the expectations. Despite his unparalleled dominance on road courses, SVG still has room to improve and he didn’t hesitate to confess his shortcomings in a recent interview.

Shane van Gisbergen is aiming for results

Shane van Gisbergen has surpassed expectations. The three-time Supercars champion did the unthinkable on his Cup Series debut by winning the 2023 Grant Park 165 at the inaugural Chicago street race. The Kiwi went from being an unknown driver in NASCAR circles to an instant celebrity, which earned him a full-time seat with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series. Driving the No. 91 Chevy, the racer secured three wins in 2024, each of them coming on road courses. However, he was knocked out in the playoffs following the opening round, ending his first full season 12th in the driver standings. So what’s all the hype about?

Despite his impressive NASCAR career so far, Shane van Gisbergen knows his limitations in the motorsports discipline. Sharing his thoughts about the matter, the Kiwi candidly told Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass, “I know I can do the job. It’s just time. I know I can get there. It’s just how long it’s going to take on the oval side.” Sharing his expectations for 2025, SVG went on to say, “I guess it is another learning year again because the cars are so different. Of course, the results are going to have to start coming and improving, especially on the oval side.” Oval tracks are the Bane to Shane van Gisbergen’s Batman. Well, any non-road course, to be honest.

In the 2024 Cup Series, SVG competed in 12 races to add to his two road course appearances in 2023. Across these 14 races, SVG has an average finish of 9.8 on road courses (4 races) which is incredible. However, his struggles started to show when he switched to intermediates. Across three intermediate races in the Cup Series, SVG has an average finish of 27.7. This enormous drop-off continues at Superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega) where the Kiwi averages a finish of 26.0 across three Cup races.

However, there have been plenty of encouraging signs. In the Xfinity Series last year, SVG finished third at Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 1.540-mile quad-oval, a significant achievement for a driver who hasn’t had much experience on such tracks. He also ended up fourth at Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile rectangular-shaped oval, which is arguably the most famous track in American motorsports. To not just compete, but finish in the top five at two of the most iconic NASCAR venues will give Trackhouse Racing some hope going into the upcoming season.

With Trackhouse Racing expanding its Cup Series operations, Shane van Gisbergen will have the opportunity to drive the No. 88 Chevy for the entire 2025 campaign. The Auckland-based racer will be a formidable threat on tracks such as Sonoma, Charlotte Roval, Watkins Glen, and the Chicago street course, with a victory on any of these venues giving him an automatic spot in the playoffs. However, how he fares across 36 races will also depend on SVG’s performances on oval tracks, an aspect of NASCAR he is still learning. To ease his tensions and make him feel more at home, Trackhouse has roped in SVG’s long-time sponsor for select races in 2025.

Red Bull team up with Trackhouse Racing and SVG

Trending

1

FedEx’s Sudden Exit From Joe Gibbs Racing Prompts The Coach to Bag their $13 Billion Worth Competitor

2

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Wife Fights Off Rumors After Fans Go Down a Rabbit Hole

3

After Cutting 15-YO Ties With Kyle Busch, M&M’s Rumored to Have Found Next NASCAR Driver

4

Michael Jordan’s NASCAR Ringer Baffles the Public With Audacious Offer at Daytona

5

NASCAR Shoots Itself in the Foot as Daytona 500 Keeps Losing Respect From Drivers

Few companies have as much history in motorsports as Red Bull. The energy drink brands have made a name for themselves in Formula 1 in recent years, thanks to Max Verstappen’s dominance on the racetrack. It seems like the company is now expanding its horizons back into the NASCAR Cup Series, having joined forces with Trackhouse Racing for the 2025 season. The Milton-Keynes outfit will not only be the team’s official energy drink, but they will also sponsor Shane van Gisbergen for five races in the upcoming season.

Van Gisbergen, who has been a Red Bull athlete since 2016 shared his thoughts on the collaboration by saying, “I have enjoyed a lot of new experiences and met a lot of new people since coming to NASCAR, but it is nice to be joined by Red Bull who has been a big supporter of mine for many years back home. I’d love nothing more than to give Red Bull a victory as a way to thank them for joining myself, Connor, and Trackhouse Racing.”

As per the agreement, Shane van Gisbergen’s Chevy will be featuring Red Bull’s iconic paint scheme at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 16th, the road course race at Sonoma on July 13, the August 3rd race at Iowa Speedway, the 2025 Coke Zero Sugar at Daytona International Speedway and the September 28th race in Kansas. While SVG will fancy his chances at Sonoma considering it is a road course and it stands as his best shot at giving Red Bull a win. However, adding them to tracks like Daytona and Iowa will only fuel SVG’s desire to break his ‘road course ringer’ narrative and prove his versatility in the NASCAR world.

The partnership with the energy drink brand was welcomed with open arms by Trackhouse Racing co-owner Justin Marks, who went on to say, “We are more than honored to welcome Red Bull to the Trackhouse Racing family.” With Trackhouse set to house three drivers from different countries for the 2025 Cup season, the diversity is on full display. And Justin Marks would hope the results come along with it. What do you think of Trackhouse Racing’s title chances in 2025?