The rise of Shane van Gisbergen in NASCAR Cup Series

In the past 2 years, Shane van Gisbergen has stood retired arsenic 1 of the important competitors successful the NASCAR Cup Series. His triumph successful Chicago successful 2023, which seemed similar a fluke astatine the time, present looks similar the commencement of a vocation that is earnestly developing. This erstwhile Supercars Championship operator from Australia is dilatory but surely winning implicit American tracks and fans.

He precocious triumphed again successful Chicago, which earned him an invitation to look connected Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour. There, helium openly talked astir however his beingness took a antithetic crook aft that archetypal large triumph successful Illinois. He expressed however adjacent NASCAR is to his heart.

"Things changed precise rapidly aft Chicago," this operator recalled. "Two months earlier the Chicago race, I was inactive successful Australia and signed a declaration to enactment for different year. But past I came present and had amusive similar ne'er before. It was thing caller and refreshing for me.

"In Australia it didn't rather spell the mode I wanted, particularly with the caller car. I was conscionable acceptable for a change. As Justin Marks explained the program to maine - a twelvemonth of learning, past jumping into the NASCAR Cup - it each came astatine the close time. This is the champion determination I've made successful my career."

Differences betwixt NASCAR and Supercars

Of course, NASCAR and Supercars successful Australia and New Zealand are 2 antithetic worlds, though they person similarities. Shane revealed what challenges him astir astir change.

"The strength is higher due to the fact that helium rides astir each week and each clip is simply a antithetic challenge," helium explained. “It’s not similar you’re driving the aforesaid benignant of mile-and-a-half way each time. Every play is simply a antithetic benignant of track, and the mentation is wholly different. Instead of conscionable looking astatine 2 teammates’ data, present I person entree to everyone’s data. That adds to the pressure.

“On the roadworthy tracks, I don’t truly similar it due to the fact that everyone tin spot my information and that’s the absorption of the weekend. But erstwhile you get to places similar Pocono oregon Martinsville, you survey guys similar Denny Hamlin, who’s large there, oregon Chase Elliott astatine Martinsville. There are drivers who truly dominate. But erstwhile you get to a way similar Vegas, it could beryllium anyone. There’s truthful overmuch to support way of now.”

All successful all, NASCAR has got a existent combatant successful Shane van Gisbergen, who has raised the prime of roadworthy way driving. He has different accidental to triumph astatine Sonoma this weekend. It remains to beryllium seen if helium takes it.