Trackhouse boss: van Gisbergen will impress everyone
Trackhouse Racing boss Justin Marks expects Shane van Gisbergen will impress in his NASCAR Cup Series debut.
On the eve of the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint, it was confirmed that van Gisbergen will make a NASCAR cameo in July.
The three-time Supercars champion will race a Trackhouse-prepared Project91 Camaro NASCAR in the inaugural Chicago street race.
Van Gisbergen isn’t a stranger to America — notably, he finished second in the 2015 24 Hours of Daytona in the GTD class.
Marks formed Trackhouse Racing in 2020, and debuted in NASCAR in 2021 with Daniel Suárez behind the wheel.
The team also has a partnership with international superstar entertainer Pitbull, with Ross Chastain joining in 2022 and making the NASCAR Championship 4.
Van Gisbergen is the second international star to be handed a NASCAR debut by Marks after 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Raikkonen raced a Project91 Camaro at Watkins Glen last year, and returned at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in March.
Van Gisbergen has dominated street tracks of late
The Finn ran as high as fourth in the COTA race before coming home 27th.
Van Gisbergen has dominated Supercars of late, winning 39 of the last 74 races dating back to the 2020 Bathurst 1000.
The New Zealander is also a force on street circuits in particular, and Marks believes van Gisbergen will raise eyebrows.
“We have been very pleased with the fan reaction to Kimi’s participation the last two seasons,” Marks said.
“I’ll concede the American racing fan might not be as familiar with Shane as they are with Kimi.
“But if you talk with anyone in Australia, New Zealand and that part of the world they will tell you he is one of the most talented drivers on the planet.
"He’s used to street racing in heavy cars and I think everyone will be very impressed with his performance.”
Van Gisbergen will race the #91 Enhance Health Camaro, and will be led by 23-time wining crew chief Darian Grubb, who won a Cup title with Tony Stewart in 2011.
Van Gisbergen's #91 Enhance Health Camaro
The two-time Bathurst winner will arrive in America in late June and will accompany Trackhouse at the June 25 Cup race at Nashville Superspeedway.
He will then be in the Trackhouse race shop the week of Chicago before racing on July 2, a week out from another street circuit in the NTI Townsville 500.
“There is so much I have to learn about these cars and how the races are run,” van Gisbergen said.
“The learning curve will be quite steep, but I am ready for everything they will throw at me.
"I know a lot of Kiwis and Aussies will be watching and I’m honoured to get this opportunity.”
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint this weekend.
Supercars will hit the track for the first time on Saturday for Practice 1 at 9:00am local time.
Tickets for the event are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.
