SVG AIMS FOR LE MANS 2020

Shane van Gisbergen aims for Le Mans in 2020 – Photo: Ross Gibb

INSATIABLE Racer Shane van Gisbergen has set his sights on making his Le Mans 24-hour debut in 2020.

By BRUCE NEWTON

For the first time in years the Supercars calendar doesn’t clash with the iconic enduro in 2020 and the multi-talented Kiwi will put out feelers for a drive.

Considering his past record and platinum status in sports car racing, the 2016 Bathurst 12-hour winner should have little drama picking up his preferred drive in a GTE car.

“I can drive anything, but I’d love to drive a GTE car and be quite competitive straight away in one of those,” van Gisbergen told Auto Action.

But the news keeps getting better for van Gisbergen, who says the calendar has also opened up to allow him to contest a series of American classics including the Daytona 24-hour and the Sebring 12-hour.

Contesting these races would be in addition to his duties with Triple Eight’s Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia campaign and, of course, his core Supercar duties in the Red Bull Holden Racing Team Commodore ZB.

“Next year I have already looked at the calendar and so many free races,” van Gisbergen enthusiastically told Auto Action.

“The last few years have been pretty rubbish, it’s like they have conflicted with every single race, but next year looks really good.

“I’d love to do Le Mans. It’s the first time in about five years it hasn’t conflicted. It’d be great to get a drive there.

“So start trying to find one and work out getting over there, because it’s definitely on my list.”

The 2020 Le Mans 24-hour will run June 13-14 with practice starting June 10. Van Gisbergen will have the Winton SuperSprint round the week before and the Townsville 400 two weeks after.

That means he could also be able to attend the pre-Le Mans test, usually held at the beginning of June, for his first taste of the 13.626km Circuit de la Sarthe.

“I haven’t seen the date for the test yet, so hopefully I can do that before I do the race,” said van Gisbergen.

Van Gisbergen has raced for a variety of sports car teams in Europe and the USA, most notably winning the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup in 2016 in a semi-factory McLaren. But he’s been seen in a variety of other marques here and overseas.

He says there’s no limitations on what he might drive, as long as it doesn’t conflict with his Supercars racing.

“I race as much as I can, it’s not work, it’s fun. I love racing so I’ll be in a car every time I can when I,” he said. “And I drive better when I am in the car a lot.”

Van Gisbergen still has one Blancpain Asia outing to compete this year at Shanghai in September. Closer to home he is taking part in the World Time Attack in Sydney in the drift class and contesting the Leadfoot Festival next February in New Zealand, which is a Goodwood-style event on legendary Kiwi racer Rod Millen’s driveway.

Of course, van Gisbergen will also be racing on home soil at Pukekohe in race 23 and 24 of the Supercars championship on September 13-15.

He is fourth in the title chase, 616 points behind runaway leader Scott McLaughlin, but only 43 points behind second-placed Chaz Mostert.

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