From the start of the year, Shane van Gisbergen made it crystal clear that he was no fan of the new Gen3 Supercar and, after disqualification from a season-opening win in Newcastle on a technicality, he was playing off the back foot all season.
His third Bathurst 1000 win, while managing a series of in-car issues, was as good as anything he has done in Supercars.
But it was his staggering NASCAR Cup debut, when he obliterated stock car racing’s finest on a soggy and treacherous Chicago street course, that made his future clear. It’s time for this stellar talent to shine on a bigger stage. Tighten them laces, America.
The Kiwi takes flight
It was no huge surprise that van Gisbergen was eyeing bigger challenges for 2024 and well before he took the chequered flag in Chicago, the signs were he may be on his way out of Supercars.
It was not so much that he did not feel at home in the Gen3 Supercar. It is that, much to the annoyance of Supercars’ management, he publicly stated as much. His form at the start or the 2023 season was less imperious than many had expected; in fact, by his standards, it was up and down.
If there was a surprise, perhaps it landed in April when Triple Eight confirmed it had extended the New Zealander’s contract for a “multi-year” deal that would keep him in a Red Bull Chevrolet for 2024-25. SVG described the news as “a no-brainer”, adding that he'd “never been happier at this team”.
We know now that shortly after that, van Gisbergen was contacted by NASCAR team Trackhouse Racing and, well, the rest is history. After Chicago’s second-most famous massacre in July there would clearly be an at least one offer made for him to move Stateside.
Racing in another country is nothing new to a lad from the rural outskirts of Auckland. And if he has to adapt to a new Chevrolet race car anyway, why not do it in NASCAR’s Next Gen Camaro?
Triple Eight co-owner Jamie Whincup could have played hardball with his star driver but, a racer at heart, did not stand in his way.
“I’m not leaving because of this team. I love this team,” SVG said after a win in Sydney.
What does he leave behind? Three titles and as many Bathurst 1000 wins, contributing to a tally of 81 career victories. But still he remains an enigma as demonstrated during his final (for now, at least) Supercars victory at Bathurst.
Well in the lead but with his Camaro’s gearshift in danger of falling apart (as had happened on the team’s other two cars) van Gisbergen pitted for his final stop. A team member dived into the passenger’s side to patch up the shifter; as he finished, SVG gave him a silent fist bump.
As usual Shane van Gisbergen had it all under control. And as usual, he made his statement with actions, not words.
