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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He told the Daytona Beach News-Journal in a recent interview that people do not judge him for his opinions however controversial they may be. He used Denny Hamlin as an example and said, “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.”
“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.” Gisbergen has not been in Hamlin’s position, one can argue. The veteran has faced his share of troubles for his nature 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. These words from him come after similar ones in a 2024 interview. 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 the high regard in which Gisbergen holds it.
The biggest transition that Gisbergen has undergone in NASCAR
When it comes to road courses, there aren’t a lot of drivers who can live up to Gisbergen’s caliber. But ovals and intermediates are a relatively new mountain to climb for him. 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.
