Van Gisbergen turned the primary driver in over 60 years to win a NASCAR Cup race on debut when he took the checkered flag on the inaugural Chicago Avenue Course race.
Now only a few months later, he is uprooted his whole life with only one yr to study inventory automotive racing earlier than an anticipated full-time transfer to the Cup Sequence.
“It has been a whirlwind since Chicago,” he stated throughout a Thursday media availability, noting how shortly every thing has come collectively since then.
“Packing up every thing. My complete life. Transferring from Australia to America. It has been huge, however fairly thrilling the best way this system type of escalated from ten races to now a full season and 7 Cup races. What Justin [Marks] and Ty [Norris] and the Trackhouse group have put collectively is absolutely thrilling and I acquired lots of studying to do and lots of expertise to achieve shortly, however I feel it is one of the best ways to do it to organize myself for a 2025 Cup alternative.”
Maybe studying to race ovals on the pinnacle of inventory automotive racing would be the simple half, as SVG spoke on discovering a home, getting a visa, social safety quantity, checking account, and even a drivers license.
“Beginning a complete new life from scratch, actually. However it’s thrilling.”
His 2024 season will embody the complete 33-race Xfinity schedule, in addition to seven Cup races. Amongst them are two superspeedway races, two intermediate tracks, and two street programs.
‘Anxious’ about superspeedway racing
He’ll be thrown straight into the deep-end, making his Xfinity debut within the season-opener at Daytona Worldwide Speedway and his Cup oval debut at Talladega Superspeedway a pair months later.
“You watch them and it simply seems to be like automobiles driving round flat-out, however now I have been attempting to check it as a lot as I can,” stated van Gisbergen.
He watched three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin by way of his onboard digicam at Talladega final yr, paying shut consideration as he lower his method again by means of the sector after a penalty.
“Watching that is sort of a high-speed chess match, but additionally a lottery I suppose,” he stated. “Our first race. I do not actually know tips on how to method it or what to anticipate. We get just a little little bit of observe so I can get a really feel for the automotive and the automobiles round me at that pace, however that fashion of racing is to date faraway from every thing I’ve ever finished. Superspeedways might be what I am most anxious about, or uncertain about what is going on to occur or how the automobiles race. That is going to be a troublesome first one.”
Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, Columbia Sportswear Firm Toyota Camry spins
Fellow NASCAR drivers have been very welcoming to the 34-year-old racer, saying the assist has “been actually superior. Everybody’s been welcoming me to states and in the event that they will help in any method, they’re providing. It is actually cool. Kevin Harvick has been an amazing assist with simply primary recommendation and being comfy within the automotive and being well-strapped in.
“He stated that I will have hits larger than I’ve ever had earlier than, which isn’t good to listen to but it surely’s a real truth. I’ve to be prepared for that and be comfy and protected within the automotive. I will have change my toes and the best way I sit within the automotive to be extra protected on the ovals.
“That is simply a part of it, and ensuring the seat is identical within the Xfinity automotive so I can slot between one and the opposite and be comfy. It is simply the little stuff like that I do not usually take into consideration.”
Extra racing past the 40 introduced?
Van Gisbergen is uncertain what his 2024 season will embody past the introduced races, however he was in a position to verify that the Daytona 24 is just not going to be a part of it as he desires to concentrate on NASCAR.
However when requested by Motorsport.com about working extra Truck races or the rest exterior of Cup/Xfinity, he did go away the door open.
“Presumably. I have not actually talked an excessive amount of about it. I feel there’s two tracks that we do not go to in Xfinity,” he stated, mentioning the Xfinity off-wekend when the Truck Sequence joins Cup at Kansas in Could. “I feel it will be useful to a minimum of go to that monitor and simply expertise it. I need to have the ability to go to each monitor and know all of them earlier than ’25.”
What the 34-year-old is attempting to do is not fully unprecedented. Two-time Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose took the same path, however admittedly spent far longer within the decrease divisions than SVG plans to.
Picture by: Motion Sports activities Images
Victory lane: winner Marcos Ambrose celebrates
“Marcos Ambrose is a superb instance,” van Gisbergen defined. “Related background coming into NASCAR. After I researched how Marcos did it and what he went by means of. It took him three seasons earlier than he was full-time within the Cup Sequence.
“I forgot about that aspect of issues. It isn’t going to be a simple transition. Me doing this yr in Xfinity. It is going to be lots of studying, lots of rising pains, however Marcos has been actually useful for dashing up my studying course of. He despatched me lots of recommendation on what to anticipate and tips on how to method issues. I need to emulate what he is finished. Get into the Cup Sequence and achieve success. I feel his profession was actually superior. He had a good time right here, and liked his expertise, so I would prefer to be like that.”
One other driver he might be able to lean on is his new team-mate at Kaulig Racing. A.J. Allmendinger is a winner in open-wheel, sports activities automobiles, and inventory automobiles. He is additionally enormously improved his oval racecraft through the years.
When Motorsport.com requested about working with Allmendinger, SVG replied: “I have not met him correctly but, however hopefully he is open with it and open to giving me recommendation. He is clearly an excellent robust benchmark as a team-mate to check myself in opposition to. I am excited. We’re in some good tools. Getting out to Kaulig yesterday and assembly everybody there and seeing all of the Chevys lined up, it was fairly spectacular. I am excited to drive them and study off him and attempt to push one another to the entrance.”
Picture by: Kaulig Racing
Shane van Gisbergen, Kaulig Racing livery
Van Gisbergen is utilizing the low season to check footage, and observe on each iRacing and the sim. Speaking concerning the resolution to run the complete Xfinity season, he stated that he basically got here right down to what Kaulig had obtainable.
“It is simply the way it labored out with Kaulig,” stated van Gisbergen. “It is nice. They ended up having a full-time seat there, and I feel that is simply one of the best ways. I am attending to go to each circuit and hopefully attending to expertise the strain of the playoffs as properly. That is what the objective is — to make the playoffs and perceive that strain of being concerned in it. The second half of the yr is the place I hope to essentially get higher on the ovals. The second half of the yr is after we go to the tracks that we have been to and I perceive the movement of the race and the way the monitor drives, and hopefully in control with my automotive then. I feel it is the right approach to do it. Leap in, full season straightaway. “
He additionally famous that they unfold out his Cup schedule in an effort to give Trackhouse loads of time to construct and put together the additional automotive as additionally they area two full-time entries on the high stage of the game.
“The Charlotte weekend is gonna be fairly robust doing 300 miles on Saturday and the 600 on Sunday, but it surely’s all about expertise and attempting to do as many laps I can to get the miles up.”
Cautious in setting objectives for the 2024 season
When the 2024 season is over, he’ll have a minimum of 43 NASCAR races below his belt (together with final yr). So what makes it an accomplishment? At what level will he really feel able to tackle Cup full-time?
“I am attempting to not have expectations,” he admitted. “I need to have my preparation pretty much as good as potential. However results-wise, I do not know what we will obtain. Clearly need to get some top-tens, and symbolize WeatherTech properly, and have some enjoyable. I actually do not know what it should be like. I am positive there’s going to be lots of dropping and quite a bit arduous instances on the ovals however hopefully by means of the yr, I get higher and know what’s coming and the second time to the monitor we may be aggressive.”
Extra crossovers between Supercars and NASCAR?
Van Gisbergen’s Chicago win rattled the NASCAR world, as did his post-race remark declaring that “any of the high ten in Supercars are ok to return and do what I simply did.”
When requested about that declare, he expanded on what he meant and hinted at the opportunity of extra Supercars stars attempting their hand at NASCAR sooner or later.
“There’s some very proficient guys. Even Brodie [Kostecki] when he got here to Indianapolis, he confirmed some brilliance there. His laptimes have been actually good. There’s guys like Cam Waters and a pair others who’ve indicated that they need to come and have a go.
“The expertise stage could be very excessive down there (in Supercars). You get in your bubble right here and over there and also you’re simply tunnel imaginative and prescient on what you are targeted on reaching and also you form of do not look exterior your bubble at what different individuals can do. Hopefully I open some eyes and folks begin wanting in the direction of New Zealand and Australia to get some expertise coming over and vice versa.”
