After the heroics in Chicago on Sunday, many NASCAR fans were left wondering whether Shane van Gisbergen could really come and race full time in the Cup Series. The Kiwi himself admitted after the race that it could be a possibility and he will definitely give it a thought. This begs the question – where could the three-time Supercars champion end up if he indeed comes to NASCAR?
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Turns out, Tony Stewart and Joe Gibbs might have the answer.
The conversations around the Grant Park 220 winner joining NASCAR grew louder after his Supercars championship team boss’ comments on his contract situation and how a 2024 Cup Series seat is not an impossibility.
Shane van Gisbergen’s Team Principal on NASCAR possibility
Triple Eight Race Engineering, van Gisbergen’s outfit in Supercars, has been fully supportive of opportunities outside the series for its employees. This is something Team Principal Jamie Whincup expressed in a Fox Sports interview, saying, “He’s only contractually bound to us for next year. Of course, I’m trying to run the business as well as I possibly can and I need the best drivers, but if any driver, engineer, employee came to me and said, ‘Hey, my dream is to go to the other side of the world and do something else’, I’m not going to stand in their way.”
BREAKING: Triple Eight Race Engineering boss Jamie Whincup has told Fox Sports News he wouldn’t stand in Shane van Gisbergen’s way if he wants to get out of his @supercars contract a year early and race in the NASCAR series in America. More on ch’s 500 & 602 from 11am AEST. pic.twitter.com/ldCkUzRHqB
— FOX SPORTS News (@FOXSportsNews) July 4, 2023
“Of course, there are contractual things we need to work through, but if someone really wants to go do something else, then I’m certainly not going to stand in his way, that’s for sure.”
Where do Tony Stewart and Joe Gibbs come into the picture?
With Josh Berry signing in as Kevin Harvick’s replacement, Stewart-Haas Racing made sure they had a done deal for the No. 4 going into the 2024 season. Interestingly, teammate Aric Almirola is also expected to retire at the end of the 2023 season with no driver announced as a possible replacement. Even though many names are being thrown around, a definitive name has not yet entered the fray. Tony Stewart is a fan of drivers who excel in multiple series and, after Sunday’s performance, will certainly look at van Gisbergen as a possible replacement for Almirola.
The other team in the picture is Joe Gibbs Racing. With Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin both nearing contract expiration at the end of the season, Joe Gibbs has a decision to make. In Hamlin’s case in particular, although a contract extension is the most probable outcome, things could get a little complicated, considering he also has his Toyota-23XI Racing negotiations to be finalized as well.
As for Truex, the #19 driver has made it clear that he is taking his contract negotiations one year at a time and is not particularly looking for long-term deals.
