Shane van Gisbergen is mere days away from making his full-time debut in the NASCAR Cup Series. He will be driving the third entry for Trackhouse Racing, following a brilliant 2024 season with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series. Well settled into life in the United States, the Australian Supercars champion loves how outspoken he can be here.
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In a recent interview with the Daytona Beach News-Journal, he stated that people do not judge him for his opinions, no matter how controversial they may be. He used Denny Hamlin as an example to prove his point. “If Denny Hamlin was in Australia, he’d be kicked out. But here … He’s polarizing, but people accept it and love him for who he is,” he shared.
“You couldn’t be like Denny in Australia, telling your opinion, which might be a harsh truth. People here accept you because you’re being yourself.” Van Gisbergen has not been in Hamlin’s position, one can argue. The veteran has had his share of troubles because of his tendency to openly place criticism where it is due.
However, the Trackhouse Racing driver still thinks that NASCAR fans and media are more forgiving than their Australian counterparts. Similar remarks were made by him in a different interview last year. He said that drivers couldn’t openly showcase their personalities in the Supercars out of fear of being judged harshly.
He added, “You sort of shell up and sometimes get aggressive about it, or you don’t say the right thing or you hold everything in. And you get smashed for it. Whereas here, I feel like I can be myself — just say what I think and it comes across the right way.” The NASCAR community will be pleased to know that van Gisbergen holds them in high regard.
The biggest transition that van Gisbergen has undergone in NASCAR
When it comes to road courses, there aren’t a lot of drivers who can live up to van Gisbergen’s caliber. But for him, ovals and intermediates are a relatively new challenge. Even after a full-time season in the Xfinity Series, he still hasn’t completely got the hang of it.
He said when asked what his biggest transition was, “Racing every week. And the ovals. The oval stuff is crazy. The short stuff I’m OK at, and the superspeedways, but the intermediates is ridiculous — the speeds they go and how the cars handle. The Cup car, on paper, should be better for me, but I’ll find out.”
On February 16, he will debut in the Daytona 500 with the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro. Expectations around him are high. Hopefully, he will be able to make a mark in 2025 and emerge as a beacon for international drivers dreaming of racing at NASCAR’s highest level.
