Ever since Chicago, it was speculated whether Shane Van Gisbergen will return to NASCAR or if he will make a full time switch from V8 Supercars. And in the last few days, tgat speculation around the Kiwi driver has gained some strong momentum, which should become even stronger considering what Dale Earnhardt Jr. had to say about the prospect of SVG going full-time in NASCAR, and then some more.
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Earnhardt Jr. recently claimed that a NASCAR full-time ride option is more or less already on the table for the Chicago history maker. Moreover, Junior also explained just why SVG won’t have much problem in adapting from the V8 Supercars to the Next Gen car.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. claims SVG’s full-time NASCAR ride is imminent
Speaking during an episode of his podcast show, Earnhardt Jr. claimed that SVG already has his plans for NASCAR. He described, “I believe that he already has his teams lined up and that he would not turn his back on what’s going on for him in V8 Supercars, he would not turn his back on what’s stable and secure without a plan already in place.”
“I think the decisions on who and what he’ll drive in NASCAR are nearly sured up or laying right there in front of him. He is very aware of what team he has the opportunity with.”
“I also think that he spends time racing Xfinity, maybe even a Truck, wouldn’t be surprised to see him get an Xfinity ride multiple times throughout the year and not on road courses. He would be doing that in my mind to get that oval track experience.”
Junior believes SVG won’t have much problem in adapting to the Next Gen car
Earnhardt further explained why Gisbergen’s potential to shine in NASCAR isn’t that far fetched of an idea as he referred to Marcus Ambrose, another driver who made his way from V8 Supercars to NASCAR. Junior furthered his point by shedding some light on the nature of the current Next Gen car and the racecars SVG is used to winning in.
“If V8 Supercars was the closest thing to NASCAR stock car around the globe and that got even closer when the Next Gen car is built. NASCAR and Steve O’Donnell will tell you, they built the NASCAR Next Gen based off the V8 Supercar. So for Shane and anyone to get in that car and feel comfortable makes perfect sense and I think his adaptation to oval will be even easier due to that than Marcus,” Earnhardt said.
Having said that though, Earnhardt emphasized the need to race in the Trucks or the Xfinity Seriesf for SVG, claiming, the Kiwi has to run “as much as he can on ovals.”
The NASCAR Hall of Famer claimed he wouldn’t be surprised if Gisbergen announces his full-time NASCAR plans soon including those to race in other divisions along with the Cup.
