As Shane van Gisbergen prepares to cross the Pacific Ocean from the Supercars Championship to NASCAR, Trackhouse Racing Crew plans to offer him a nutritious diet of racing throughout all three nationwide divisions and even grassroots racing in 2024. On Wednesday, the staff introduced they’ve signed van Gisbergen to a driver growth deal, which entails part-time competitors within the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck Collection together with late mannequin begins.
“This announcement means so many issues to me,” mentioned van Gisbergen. “I’m pleased with what I’ve achieved right here in Australia, however I’m excited by this new chapter in my profession and the alternatives that it brings.”
Van Gisbergen shocked the NASCAR world when he gained in his Cup début at Chicago in July, the primary driver to realize the feat in over sixty years. He backed it up by ending tenth in his second top-level begin at Indianapolis, with Terry Labonte in 1978 being the final driver to attain high tens in his first two Cup races.
Two days earlier than the Indianapolis begin, he entered the Truck Collection occasion at close by Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for Trackhouse ally Niece Motorsports. He completed nineteenth in his maiden oval race.
5 days after the Truck race, van Gisbergen was launched from his Supercars contract with Triple Eight Race Engineering, permitting him to pursue a NASCAR profession. Whereas he’ll end out the 12 months with the staff, he departs Supercars as some of the completed drivers in historical past with three championships and eighty wins to this point. With 5 races remaining, he sits second in factors with 4 wins; championship chief Brodie Kostecki raced alongside van Gisbergen within the Cup Collection at Indianapolis.
“That is going to be an amazing problem for Shane however he’s an amazing driver as we’ve got all seen,” commented Trackhouse proprietor Justin Marks. “Subsequent 12 months will likely be about getting him acclimated to oval-track racing, superspeedways, 1.5-mile tracks, and every little thing he has by no means skilled in his profession. It’s clearly going to be a studying course of, however we expect Shane will carry out fairly nicely.”
Whereas he’s anticipated to race Trackhouse’s #91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 within the Cup Collection as soon as once more, the staff didn’t reveal his 2024 rides within the decrease sequence. He’ll seemingly return to Niece for his Truck begins.
