"There's a lot happening in the background” - Shane van Gisbergen confirms desire to race in NASCAR 2024 season
Shane van Gisbergen has officially announced his intention to permanently transition from the Supercars series to NASCAR in the upcoming season.
Speculation about the three-time Supercars champion's departure from Australia heightened after his impressive victory on his NASCAR Cup Series debut earlier this month.
Although he is still contracted with Triple Eight in Supercars for the next year, the team has expressed their willingness to release him if necessary.
It now seems highly likely that Shane van Gisbergen will make an early exit. He confirmed during a media event in Sydney that he is actively pursuing a NASCAR program for the next season.
Regarding the nature of his involvement, he expressed uncertainty about a full-time deal, possibly alluding to a full Cup program. However, he clarified that there are no plans to combine Supercars and NASCAR in the following year.
Van Gisbergen emphasized that his primary focus at the moment is to assist Triple Eight in finding a suitable replacement for him in the Supercars series. According to Motorsports, he explained:
"There's a lot happening in the background. I'm not leaving because of this team. I love this team and when I leave, I want to make sure there is someone here to replace me that's going to do a good job in the car.
"You don't want to leave the team with nothing, scrambling to find someone. I want to leave with the team in a good spot. Hopefully, the team has someone soon."
Shane van Gisbergen suggested he might venture into lower-level NASCAR events to prepare for main series
Prior to going into NASCAR, Shane van Gisbergen might want to spend some time in the lower-level NASCAR events. He said that this will help him adapt to oval racing when discussing the potential plans for 2024.
Starting in the lower tiers of NASCAR is considered as an option to help the Kiwi driver become acquainted with the unfamiliar aspects of the sport.
This is a strategy previously used by drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambrose when they transitioned to the series.
Van Gisbergen said:
"When I study it, Marcos [Ambrose] did three years before he went to Cup full-time. [Juan Pablo] Montoya was pretty much a full season as well. Nobody has ever gone into Cup.
"And I have no illusion that those ovals are going to be easy. It's going to take a lot of time to learn. I don't have a plan. Hopefully, I'll work it out when I'm over there."
Shane van Gisbergen will be joined by Supercars opponent Brodie Kostecki for the NASCAR Cup race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 14. This will be his second NASCAR appearance, following his remarkable debut win in Chicago.