Why Shane van Gisbergen Is Cautious about Expanding His 2024 NASCAR Schedule

Shane van Gisbergen never thought about moving his racing career to NASCAR until he witnessed the Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.

One week later after qualifying for the Chicago street course race, he knew his future was in the United States.

“I remember doing the Rolex 24 years ago, and I just forget how fun the racing culture is here in America,” Van Gisbergen says. “It’s intense. The switch flicks when it’s time to go and get serious, but everyone’s here racing for the right reasons and enjoying it. That’s just so much fun and kind of been missing that a little bit in Australia.”

Van Gisbergen described watching the racing at the 1.33-mile Nashville track as “epic.”

“I’ve never really had aspirations to do it, but … seeing the cars out there … you don’t see on TV the guys at the back battling … and it looked like an awesome dogfight throughout the field,” Van Gisbergen says. “It just opened my eyes to it. Watching it on TV is one thing, but being there in person … I just loved it. You just start thinking about wanting to try something different, to come over here.”

On Friday, van Gisbergen will attempt to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut driving for Niece Motorsports in the TSports 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The event at the 0.686-mile track marks his first oval race.

“When I spoke to Justin (Marks, Trackhouse Racing team owner) last week, he’s like ‘Oh, on Friday night there’s a truck race. Do you want to do that at IRP?’” Van Gisbergen says. “Initially, I thought that was on the road circuit on the same track, not an oval. So, it’s all come together pretty quick, but it’s been a lot of fun doing it.”

Van Gisbergen’s initial schedule called for one event in Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 car—the Chicago street course. However, when he shocked the NASCAR world by winning the inaugural event everything changed. They immediately looked at the calendar to determine what worked schedule-wise for him to return to the No. 91 Chevrolet.

Leading into the Indianapolis race weekend, van Gisbergen spent time in the simulator for both events. He talked with Indy Car racer and fellow countryman Scott McLaughlin about the Brickyard’s road course. Australian Marcos Ambrose, who competed in the truck series in 2006, has given van Gisbergen numerous notes about IRP. He says the list Ambrose sent him is a “lot to digest.”

“His biggest thing was that on three o’clock on Friday the track is going to be completely different than racing at nine o’clock at night under the lights,” Van Gisbergen says. “He said you’ve got to be adaptable and not get frustrated when it’s hot and slick during the day.”

Van Gisbergen knows he faces a steep learning curve in NASCAR. While working with his Australian Supercar team to find his replacement, he’s attempting to solidify his 2024 NASCAR plans. Due to the similarities between the current NASCAR Cup car and his Supercar, van Gisbergen would prefer the majority of his schedule next year be in the Cup Series.

“But I think you’ve got to pay your dues,” Van Gisbergen says. “It’s such a big learning curve, all the oval stuff, and especially the superspeedways. That actually looks like a whole different type of racing than I’ve ever done before. So, it’s gonna take me a lot of time to learn, and I’ve got to do as much racing as I can and work back up through the classes probably to make sure that I’m comfortable and understand the oval racing world.”

Van Gisbergen isn’t the only road racing aficionado in Sunday’s Indy road course race. Supercars ace Brodie Kostecki is driving a Richard Childress Racing entry, Formula One champion Jenson Button is in a Rick Ware Racing Ford, two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller is substituting for a suspended Noah Gragson in the Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet, and World Endurance champion Kamui Kobayashi is driving a 23XI Racing Toyota.