Van Gisbergen sizing up big 2023 schedule
A jam-packed schedule is again in Shane van Gisbergen’s sights as he sets sail on a fourth Supercars title.
Van Gisbergen wrapped up his Supercars season at the VALO Adelaide 500.
However, that wasn’t the end of his racing season, van Gisbergen jetting off to New Zealand to make a competitive Sprint Car debut.
Inclement weather saw the Baypark Speedway event postponed to December 28.
A speedway swing will come before he returns to Australia for pre-season Supercars testing.
He won't be the only Supercars talent to turn to the dirt in the summer.
Andre Heimgartner, Richie Stanaway and Greg Murphy have been entered in a celebrity charity speedway event at Rotorua Speedway on December 16-17.
“Summer, I’ll keep racing,” van Gisbergen said in Adelaide.
“I need to make sure I’m fresh — we’re only racing 12 times next year.
“I need to keep in a car as much as possible to be as sharp as I can.”
Van Gisbergen’s 2022 was centred on a busy motorsport schedule, be it competing or spectating.
In 42 weeks between Sydney and Adelaide, van Gisbergen had 24 racing commitments.
That featured 13 Supercars rounds, three GT World Challenge Australia rounds, a Bathurst 12 Hour, four rallies and a Le Mans debut.
Van Gisbergen is keen to return to Le Mans — next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, as it was in 2022, is a week before the Darwin round.
Van Gisbergen made his WRC debut in September
He is also keen to race in the Nürburgring 24 Hour race — however, the 2023 event clashes with the Tasmania Supercars round on May 19-21.
Van Gisbergen has also had early discussions to make a possible NASCAR Cup Series debut.
Queensland-based teams will shakedown their first Gen3 cars at Queensland Raceway on January 30.
Another test day in Ipswich is scheduled for February 9 before the all-in test at Sydney Motorsport Park on February 22.
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle on March 10-12.
The LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour — on February 3-5 — is sandwiched between the first Gen3 shakedown and test days.
Van Gisbergen has yet to commit to a 12 Hour start, although Triple Eight is expected to feature.
Van Gisbergen made his Le Mans debut this year
A busy 2022 schedule helped van Gisbergen piece together a record-breaking Supercars season.
The 33-year-old won 21 races from 34 starts, including the Bathurst 1000 — just days after his WRC debut on home soil.
Despite talks over his future, van Gisbergen is intrigued by the challenges Gen3 presents, having dominated the Gen2 era with 73 wins in 317 races.
That dominance wasn’t lost on van Gisbergen, who joined Scott McLaughlin, Craig Lowndes and Peter Brock on three titles.
“I look at the stats, you obviously hear those numbers and names,” he said.
“They’re massive for me, even to join guys like Scotty, who was the peak guy.
“To join Pete and Craig — it’s pretty amazing.
“I’ve got to keep pushing — the change excites me.
“It was a great year in ’21, this year we had so much team change, that motivated me.
“Next year is the cars and so on. There’s always something evolving in our sport.
“Those challenges keep it fresh for us.”
Queensland and Victorian teams will stage a shakedown and test day each across January and February before an all-in Sydney test.
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle next March.
Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.
