The three-time Supercars champion captured his first victory within the Xfinity Sequence final Saturday at Portland Worldwide Raceway, passing Justin Allgaier with three of 75 laps remaining and holding on for the win.
The victory locks van Gisbergen into the 2024 collection playoffs in his rookie season. Till his win, he was struggling to remain in competition for a berth primarily based on factors.
“It’s been a fairly particular 9 to 10 months since we determined to do that, and yeah, fairly stoked to be now within the playoffs and again in Victory Lane once more,” van Gisbergen mentioned.
“It’s fairly particular. Each week, you recognize we’re not working up entrance, however I’m having a number of enjoyable doing it anyway.”
Race winner Shane Van Gisbergen, Kaulig Racing, Quad Lock Chevrolet Camaro
Photograph by: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
Final July, van Gisbergen turned the primary driver in additional than 60 years to win a Cup race in his debut when he took victory within the inaugural Chicago Road Race driving for Trackhouse Racing.
The victory served because the instigator for the 35-year-old Kiwi to maneuver to NASCAR competitors this season, the place he’s racing full-time in Xfinity and part-time in Cup, each with Kaulig Racing.
The objective is to organize for a full-time transfer to the Cup Sequence with Trackhouse and van Gisbergen is aware of whereas Saturday’s win on the Portland highway course was vital, it’s his studying curve on ovals that wants enchancment.
Exterior of a blown engine at Las Vegas, van Gisbergen has ran competitively within the 11 races to date this season in Xfinity. He has a pair of top-10 finishes, together with third at Atlanta. He has led only a single lap on an oval, nevertheless.
“I’m a great distance from (successful on an oval) and I perceive that, but it surely’s a course of, you recognize. These guys have been doing it since they had been youngsters whereas these items (highway racing) I’ve been doing since I used to be a child,” he mentioned.
“So, I bought quite a bit to study on the ovals, however I’m going to maintain getting higher and preserve focusing. Yeah, in the future I need to win on an oval, however I do know it’s in all probability a great distance away, however I’m going to continue to learn.
“That’s the following objective.”
Shane Van Gisbergen, Kaulig Racing, WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro, Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing, Freeway Insurance coverage Chevrolet Camaro
Photograph by: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
Within the meantime, van Gisbergen remains to be getting accustomed to the extra bodily nature of NASCAR racing, whether or not or not it’s on quick ovals and even highway programs.
He owned as much as his personal mishap within the first flip of the primary lap at Portland when he bumped into chief Sam Mayer and despatched him round. Twice later within the race, van Gisbergen went off track to keep away from incidents however was capable of proceed.
“It’s simply all these video games. I’m nonetheless studying and figuring it out,” he mentioned. “Going four-wide into Flip 1, it’s exhausting, you recognize. I’m on the conservative aspect and these folks, they do not give a (expletive). They simply ship it in there and hope they arrive out the opposite aspect.
“So yeah, I’m nonetheless determining the American type.”
