In a recent episode of “Happy Hour Podcast” with Kevin Harvick, the Chicago street race sensation and Australian Supercar legend, Shane Van Gisbergen unraveled the differences between racing in Australia and New Zealand versus that in America. To begin with, Harvick highlighted the team-oriented approach of NASCAR which, he feels is missing from Australian Supercar racing.
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In NASCAR, it’s not unusual to be competitive against one’s own teammates. However, there are instances when a driver assists their teammate during a race. But that is never the case in Supercar racing. Racecar drivers battle it out as ruthlessly against their teammates as they do with their rivals.
However, the three-time V8 supercar champion also explained that it has not always been that way for him. Recalling his days at Triple Eight Racing, he said, “At first, it was Stone Brothers. We all sort of did our own thing, kept a lot within ourselves. But with Triple Eight, everything changed. The team worked much better together. You gotta be everyone else before you focus on your own teammates and beating them.”
Shane Van Gisbergen is overwhelmed with the changes after NASCAR move
Of the many changes Shane Van Gisbergen has had to adapt to, the biggest challenge for the Kiwi sensation is probably to get used to left-foot braking. He even called it a new skill and feels like he is yet to master it. Gisbergen told Kevin Harvick, “(In Supercars) we had a solid rear-end locked, so you had to run so much rear brake to turn. It doesn’t really do these in these cars…I hadn’t ever really left-foot braked before…the left-foot braking is a new skill to me.”
Moreover, the dependency of NASCAR on simulations blew the New Zealander away. Talking about the work that goes behind running a stock car on NASCAR’s ovals, he said, “It’s unbelievable, the level of technology here, which is a shame, it’s kind of hidden. The fan doesn’t get to see it, but yeah, it’s very, very impressive. The tech here.”
“And that’s blown me away here, especially with no practice. How much they rely on the simulation here and what you see,” he added. Although he is not sure about how his Xfinity ride will feel, he surely is bracing up for a stellar career in the arena of NASCAR. His ability to adapt has spoken for itself time and time again, and it wouldn’t be a shock if Gisbergen contends for wins this year.
