The name Shane Van Gisbergen resonates with everyone aware of the world of motorsports. The Australian talent is a 3-time Supercars Champion and his addition to the Trackhouse Racing team is nothing less of a phenomenon. Adding him to the squad of Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez, and Kimi Räikkönen in the Daytona 500 line-up has strengthened the team more than ever. 

However, Van Gisbergen is still quite inexperienced in the NASCAR domain. His shift from Kaulig Racing to Trackhouse Racing could be a chance worth taking. However, given the amount of runtime he has had with stock cars till now, the venture into the Cup Series might prove to be challenging. 

SVG looking to live up to his popularity outside of the Supercars experience 

Shane Van Gisbergen, widely known as “SVG,” made headlines in 2023. This happened after he secured a victory in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the Chicago Street Course. The former Australian Supercars driver has built an impressive career. He already has three Supercars championships and a Bathurst 12-Hour win. Adding to the same, he has also got a podium finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2024, Van Gisbergen transitioned to NASCAR’s Xfinity Series. 

This is when he was also running full-time for Kaulig Racing in the No. 97 car. He quickly proved his adaptability. Consequently, he claimed his first Xfinity win on June 1 at Portland International Raceway. He followed up with dominant victories at Sonoma Raceway. Adding another feather to his cap, SVG claimed the victory position at the Chicago Street Course too. However, given that he doesn’t have much experience yet in the Cup Series battle, maneuvering through the tracks could be challenging. Sharing the shortcomings that he might be facing, the Kiwi mentioned, “It’s probably just being in a routine. You know, I only really did one or two last year and now we’re at, you know, it was Vegas at the end and, then I didn’t really get enough time to get into a rhythm with it. You know every time I jumped in a Cup Car, it felt like I’d never driven it before. So being in the car every week instead of once a month or once every two months, it will probably make things a lot easier for me at the end”.

To ensure that time in the car does not act as a deterrent anymore, NASCAR has thankfully added some new rules. This includes an increase in practice time for all race weekends. The idea is to give teams 25 minutes to fine-tune their cars before time trials. For qualifying, different formats will apply depending on the track. At Atlanta, Daytona, and Talladega a two-round system will be used. This will be done with the top 10 drivers advancing to the final session.

Meanwhile, road course qualifying will feature two separate groups. Each of these will be competing in a 20-minute session. To add to that, there have been rising concerns about the limited practice time that drivers get ahead of the Daytona 500. The session has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 12, at 10:05 A.M. This will ensure that the teams can get additional preparation time before the big race. But, do practice and experience go hand-in-hand?

Despite the added practice sessions, SVG’s limited seat time in a Cup car could still pose challenges. It would require more adaptability on his part as he adapts to the series’ unique demands. The intensity of full-time Cup competition, combined with unfamiliar tracks, may test his ability to quickly find consistency against seasoned veterans. Luckily, his longtime sponsors have joined him on this journey at Trackhouse and the playing field might feel familiar.

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Red Bull returns as a sponsor for SVG

For motorsport fans who have their fair share of experience outside the world of NASCAR, the name Red Bull usually resonates with Formula 1. However, the good news is that Red Bull is now making a return to the world of NASCAR. The popular energy drink company has now entered into a major partnership with Trackhouse Racing and will be the primary sponsor for Shane Van Gisbergen for a total of five Cup Series races. His teammate, Connor Zilisch also got their sponsorship for the upcoming Circuit of The Americas (COTA).  

This is indeed a great opportunity for the entire team given that the name Red Bull adds to a lot of brand value. Speaking of the opportunity at hand, Justin Marks, owner and founder of Trackhouse Racing remarked, “It’s an incredible chapter in the history of Trackhouse Racing to welcome Red Bull back to NASCAR. Red Bull is one of the most powerful brands in the world and it’s an honor for us to embark on a partnership with such an iconic company. Red Bull and Trackhouse share a passion for racing, stories, and memorable experiences. This is a huge win for our sport and a moment that will resonate with the millions of NASCAR fans around the world”. Marks had previously commented on how Red Bull will bring more eyes to the sport and let’s hope it works out that way.

Red Bull has prior experience working with Shane Van Gisbergen and he was sponsored by the brand back in 2016. With this sponsorship, the Kiwi went on to win three Supercars titles! Do you think that SVG will be the next big thing in the world of NASCAR seeing the trust his partners exhibit?