Van Gisbergen details key NASCAR challenges

Shane van Gisbergen says he is “under no illusions” his NASCAR debut will be easy, detailing the key differences to his Supercar.

Van Gisbergen will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in Chicago next weekend with Trackhouse’s Project91 team.

The three-time Supercars champion joins Kimi Raikkonen in being invited to drive the Project91 Chevrolet NASCAR in the Cup Series.

The New Zealander arrived in the United States this week, and recently underwent a seat fitting in his NASCAR at Trackhouse headquarters.

He will now travel to Nashville to watch the team compete at this weekend’s Cup Series race.

Van Gisbergen is one of the strongest street circuit racers in Supercars, but cited the unusual challenge of sitting on the other side of the car.

That includes changing gears with his right hand, something he will have to get used to in a new car at a new track.

“I normally love the street circuits, like the way that you have to drive,” he said in a Project91 video.

“So committed, basically use the mirrors as feelers on the wall and yeah, the kerbs and stuff.

"So yeah, it’s something we always go well at, but as a driver I love them.

"Biggest difference from our Supercar to the NASCAR I’m going to have to get used to is, obviously, you’re sitting on the other side of the car.

“That’s a big difference when we go to a street circuit, when you get used to the walls and stuff, you’ve got the whole car on the other side of you, so it’s going to be a bit different for me.

"It’s still a sequential gearbox, I think it’s a five-speed instead of a six, so you’re obviously changing gears with the other hand as well, which will be different, and then it has no doors either.”

Van Gisbergen will also have a spotter — something he has experienced before at the Daytona 24 Hour.

NASCAR recently switched to a sequential gearbox, much like his Supercar, and the Cup car will also allow for right-foot braking.

In all, van Gisbergen said the Cup car is designed in a way drivers like himself or Raikkonen can slot in and get down to business.

“I think most people in NASCAR left [-foot brake] mainly with the ovals,” van Gisbergen said.

“I’m told that you can right-foot on the street circuit, so that’ll suit me, because I feel like I’m going to go through the windscreen when I left-foot brake.

“Looking at last year’s NASCAR or year before, they were very difficult, tough to drive with the H-pattern and the way it was all set up with the rear end.

“Now that they’ve gone to independent rear end, sequential gearbox — certainly makes it easier for someone like me or Kimi to come in and have a race.

"I’m under no illusions it’ll be easy, but certainly, it’s a lot closer to what I’m used to.”

Van Gisbergen will race in Chicago on July 2, a week out from the next Supercars round in Townsville, where he will start his 500th Supercars race.

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the NTI Townsville 500 on July 7-9. Tickets are on sale now.