For newer NASCAR fans, it might be shocking to know that 36-year-old Shane van Gisbergen is a rookie driver in the Cup Series, currently driving for Trackhouse Racing. He arrived in NASCAR as an unknown to most, but he took the world by storm by racing to victory in Chicago for the first time in his driving career.
From there, Gisbergen earned his bragging rights and demanded attention from the big players on the grid. But before he raced in NASCAR, the New Zealander was busy burning rubber in the Australian Supercar series. And having made the switch, he’s opened up on the current state of cars in his previous series.
Shane Van Gisbergen Holds Nothing Back As He Lifts the Lid on the State of Australian Supercar Series
Gisbergen had an incredible tenure in the Australian Supercar series, winning the championship three times before moving to the United States. With his team not causing any issues with the switch, Gisbergen became a NASCAR driver.
Since driving in the Xfinity and Cup Series, the 36-year-old rookie has had enough experience to draw comparisons between NASCAR-spec cars and Australian Supercars.
Given this, he recently spoke with ESPN and shared his brutally honest opinion on the cars from his previous series. Per Gisbergen, the current version of the Australian Supercar is a “piece of s***.” He added the same “is one of the reasons why I left.”
Shane van Gisbergen arrived in Chicago two years ago relatively unknown. Then he won and his life/career were forever altered. As we get ready for year three, van Gisbergen looks back, explains the course, and dish on driving a stock car.
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Clarifying further, Gisbergen claimed the weight of the NASCAR cars is heavier, which makes his corner approaches different. With the downforce installed on top, the cars roll around much closer to the ground.
As such, Gisbergen enjoys driving the Next Gen car as a full-time Cup Series driver. While the change has been difficult at times, it has also allowed the Trackhouse Racing driver to learn something new each week.
Since arriving in NASCAR, the No. 88 driver has established his dominance on the street circuits. He won the July race in Chicago in 2023 and then raced in the Xfinity series to win three more races.
Returning to the Cup series as a full-time driver, he took the bragging rights home with a win at the Mexico City road course, marking his second career Cup race win.
The 36-year-old’s consistent performances also played a crucial role in him retaining his seat for the 2026 season. On the other hand, the team chose to let go of Daniel Suarez to make way for Connor Zilisch.
Now heading to Chicago again, Gisbergen hopes to continue his street course dominance.
