Van Gisbergen begins NASCAR journey

Shane van Gisbergen charlotte nascar test

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: 27 June 2023

Shane van Gisbergen has ticked off a major milestone in his journey to a NASCAR Cup Series debut after he cut his first laps of the Project 91 Camaro.

Three-time Supercars champion van Gisbergen is in America, getting ready for an exciting new challenge that will reach a climax this Monday morning when he will represent Trackhouse Racing at the Chicago Street Race.

He is racing the same Project 91 car Kimi Raikkonen drove at the Circuit of the Americas, while another former Formula 1 champion in Jenson Button will also be racing on NASCAR’s new street circuit this weekend.

Van Gisbergen will join the likes of Marcos Ambrose, Dick Johnson, Allan Grice, Owen Kelly, Geoff Brabham and Frank Gardner as former Supercars/ATCC drivers to go NASCAR Cup Series racing.

The Kiwi enjoyed his first drive of the #91 Chevrolet Camaro at the famous Charlotte Motor Speedway this morning and was buzzing after he jumped out of the car.

Shane van Gisbergen drives down pit road at Charlotte in the Project 91 Camaro. Image: Shane van Gisbergen Facebook

“Today was awesome, my first time driving the Project 91 car” van Gisbergen said in a social media post.

“Lots of laps and tired a few things to get a bit more comfortable.

“I am feeling more confident ahead of the weekend.”

Van Gisbergen could not join Trackhouse Racing at a better time after Ross Chastain scored his first win of the 2023 season at Nashville on Monday.

The #1 driver fended off Martin Truex Jr and Denny Hamlin in a tense race-long scrap to claim the Alley 400 with the two-time Bathurst 1000 winner watching on.

There was no time for van Gisbergen to join the celebrations, however, as he jetted straight to the home of the Coca-Cola 600.

The test at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the first major landmark of a busy week of adapting to the NASCAR and American way of racing for the Kiwi, who will also conduct many simulator sessions before the one and only practice session is held at Chicago on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking before the Alley 400, Van Gisbergen said every day will be critical as he adjusts to a new method of racing.

Shane van Gisbergen in his Trackhouse Racing gear at Charlotte. image: Shane van Gisbergen Facebook

“Tomorrow (Monday) we have got a bit of a short test and that is just to get a feel and make sure I am comfortable in the car and everything is working,” he said.

“Then it is all simulator stuff. I think I get two sessions in the simulator just trying to learn things.

“Then there is also the dynamic of the team with engineers and crew chief and working out how the communication works.

“The strategy is quite different, so I have to do a lot of study on that.

“The pits close when the yellow comes out. Don’t have a pit speed speedometer and stuff like that, so just trying to manage that side of the race because it is quite different.”

Whilst van Gisbergen is used to being a winning machine in Supercars, he is keeping an open mind about what is possible in Chicago.

Shane van Gisbergen joins the Trackhouse Racing team Ross Chastain won for at Nashville Superspeedway. Photo by Nigel Kinrade / NKP / LAT Images

“I don’t really have any (expectations) results wise. I just want to do my best,” he said.

“I have prepared as well as I can and I know the Trackhouse team runs awesome cars.

“There is nothing wrong with the equipment and preparation.

“We are obviously not racing for points, so we don’t have to focus on stages and stuff like that and will have to race with respect. There are guys fighting for the championship each week so I will try to stay out of trouble I guess.

“I have no expectations, but if I am prepared the best I can be, we can achieve anything.”

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