Shane van Gisbergen Reveals Being Given the Cold Shoulder Upon NASCAR Arrival

Diversity and outreach, that has been NASCAR’s theme for its 75th anniversary season. Determined to shrug off its moniker of a dying sport, NASCAR pooled in new newer fans with its journey to Le Mans and then Chicago. One step ahead of NASCAR’s diversity stance, Justin Marks’ Trackhouse Racing added Project 91 to their garage in 2022. 

Fielding 2007 Formula 1 champion, Kimi Raikkonen last season, Marks then roped in Shane van Gisbergen to debut at NASCAR’s inaugural Chicago track. Called in for a second run in the Cup Series after his Chicago finesse, van Gisbergen recently revealed how he was given the cold shoulder by NASCAR drivers.

SVG lets slip his cold welcome into NASCAR

Driving the #97 Camaro ZL1 for Triple Eight Race Engineering (Red Bull Ampol Racing), Shane van Gisbergen won the Australian Supercars Championship thrice in 2016, 2021, and 2022. He is also the fourth most successful driver in the history of the Supercars Championship. A native of Auckland, New Zealand, the 34-year-old Kiwi quickly became a household name in the motorsport world. Used to the fanfare brought on by his racing success, Shane van Gisbergen was in for a culture shock as he stepped foot into the USA.

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Journeying from the ‘Land Down Under’ for his NASCAR debut, van Gisbergen hoped his reputation would precede his arrival. Now the most recognizable face in the NASCAR world, the Kiwi in an interview with NBC was asked about his interaction with fellow drivers before the Grant Park 220. “It was pretty cool. Yeah, bump into people. We were all staying in the same hotel just across the track and trying to introduce myself and I had met Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson before. And yeah, it’s good to see those guys again,” Shane van Gisbergen said.

Revealing how he was given the cold shoulder, van Gisbergen further added, “But a lot of the drivers I don’t think knew who I was, or you know, they’d heard of me from Supercars but didn’t know what I looked like or whatever, or didn’t expect me to be up the front. So it was pretty cool.”

Called for two more outings with NASCAR before a full-time 2024 season, the Kiwi on Friday made his oval track and Truck series debut at Indy. Enthralled by racing on an oval track, Shane van Gisbergen then termed the experience as a lot of fun.

SVG details his first NASCAR oval experience

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With gossip about Shane van Gisbergen’s full-time NASCAR move rife in the racing fraternity, the Kiwi’s finesse at Chicago did not convince many. Not one to back down from a challenge, van Gisbergen competed at the Indianapolis Truck Series race, securing a 19th-place finish. While finishing in the 19th spot may not be a big deal for many, for the Kiwi who had zero experience on an oval track, it was a dream come true.

Speaking in a post-race interview on Pit Road, Shane van Gisbergen said, “Had a ball. Had some awesome racing with people, a lot of fun! Yeah, got to thank Niece Motorsports, Worldwide Express, and the Trackhouse guys for having me. I’m living the dream! It was really cool, everyone was respectful, it was awesome…I got a lot to learn. Pace was okay in some spots, and I probably gave the wrong call on the adjustments, and we really dropped on the last ten, but so much fun”

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Gearing up for his second Cup Series run at The Brickyards Verizon 200, fans are eager to see how the Kiwi will match up to the competition on a track familiar to NASCAR drivers.