'Lifelong dream' achieved for van Gisbergen Superfan
November’s BP Ultimate Sydney SuperSprint finally brought together a Supercars fan with his hero Shane van Gisbergen.
Ronan Soussa, known for his appearance on the popular ABC series Love On The Spectrum, has been a life-long motorsport enthusiast.
Aside from being on the search for a long-term partner on the hit reality show, Soussa shared his passion for motorsport with viewers, and particularly his admiration for van Gisbergen’s drifting skills.
Which is why when we discovered the 22-year-old in season two of the series, we had to arrange a meet and greet for him with the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver.
Quietly waiting outside the Triple Eight garage at the third Saturday event in Sydney, Soussa was joined by his parents Linda and Salim, for the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Soussa’s eyes widened as the New Zealand-born driver approached, the pair instantly locked in conversation over their mutual love for the sport.
Despite being unable to offer Soussa a hot lap due to COVID restrictions, van Gisbergen gave an in-depth garage tour to the Sydney-based fan.
“It was so amazing to meet Shane van Gisbergen,” Soussa told Supercars.com after the experience.
“I've watched him on TV a lot ever since I was little.
“He showed me the tour of Jamie [Whincup’s] car, and his car, even the discs, where the wheels are.
“[I’ve been a fan] for a long time, since he joined Red Bull Racing in 2016.
“I have to say he's doing great. He is like a true powerhouse of Red Bull Racing.
“I've dreamt of it [meeting van Gisbergen]. It's one of the biggest dreams for me, honestly.
“It's like a big wish, and it's come true to me.”
Watching the pair talking while inspecting van Gisbergen’s Red Bull Holden Commodore and posing for photos, Soussa’s parents watched on in delight.
Soussa’s father Salim recounted the first time his son attended a live Supercars event, admitting the experience was life-changing.
“Ronan’s reaction when we first got him here was actually quite interesting,” Salim told Supercars.com.
“I remember it quite clearly, as he wandered off very close to the track as the Supercars started to come out.
“He was looking at them, and then he turned around and looked back at us again.
“He did it a few times, but the smile on his face and just his eyes were like, someone had won a million dollars, even though he didn't know what a million dollars at the time.
“But it was amazing, Linda and I would just look at each other, and it's like, wow, and he was in his element.
“He could have probably slept over there that night, because to him, that was just the best thing.
“It really was. I mean, to us, even just watching it. It felt so good to just get him to feel that excitement.”
Despite facing challenges being diagnosed on the Autism spectrum, Soussa is determined to not let it define him.
As well as volunteering at Supercars events, Soussa has climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, plays the Piano and Tuba and enjoys karate.
“We were just watching him talk to Shane,” Salim continued.
“When he was little, it was hard to even get him to make conversation, and then to see him now as a man standing there talking to someone, especially someone as important to him as Shane van Gisbergen.
“[Seeing him] having a conversation for us as parents, it is just mind-blowing.
“We never would have thought we would be at this stage, even just a few years back.
“It's just been it's unbelievable. It's exciting for us as it is for him, I think.”
“This is like a dream come true,” Soussa’s mother Linda added.
“Probably aside from the day that he met Katie on the show, maybe we shouldn't take away from that!
“Definitely, this is like probably one of the best experiences that he's had.”
The 13-event 2022 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle in March. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
CLICK HERE to view the 13-round draft 2022 calendar.
