When Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) made his move to NASCAR permanent, he would dreamt of his maiden full-time season going better than it has so far. He has managed to bring in just two top-10 finishes in the Xfinity season’s first eleven races from behind the wheel of the #97 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. The Kiwi’s next race will be at the crafty Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Advertisement
Holding greater significance than his Xfinity appearance this weekend will be his participation in the Coca-Cola 600. The Cup Series event will be his third race in the premier tier this season and present him an opportunity to impress his higher ups at Trackhouse Racing. His first two Cup races in 2024 at COTA and Talladega ended with him finishing in 20th and 28th place, respectively.
He said to the press recently about his self-expectations for the crown jewel race, “The Cup car at Charlotte is going to be another massive challenge for me, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity! I’m excited to run the 600, one of the crown jewels of NASCAR. We have 400 laps to learn and hopefully come home with a straight car and a good finish on Sunday night.”
Why is the Coca-Cola 600 a crucial audition for Shane Van Gisbergen?
Trackhouse Racing has two drivers, SVG and Zane Smith, currently on loan to the Xfinity Series. The idea is to prepare the duo to take up the mantle in the Cup Series at the right time. Parallely, there are also rumors circulating on how team owner Justin Marks could be purchasing the charters that Stewart-Haas Racing is supposedly looking to sell.
Should Trackhouse end up expanding to a three or four car operation, SVG and Zane Smith would be the most obvious choices as the new drivers. But that requires them to prove themselves while still in the Xfinity Series. After a lackluster start to his campaign SVG faces a corner which he has to get out of. The Coca-Cola 600 will be a great opportunity for him to do so.
He currently sits 15th in the Xfinity standings. His #97 Chevy will be sporting an all-black livery, that has been named “stealth bomber”, during the second-tier race. He returns to his double-header weekend after missing out on the All-Star race despite being eligible since neither Trackhouse Racing nor Kaulig Racing were able to field an entry.
