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“Always Remember to Come Home”- Heavyhearted Fans Share Their Gratitude to Shane Van Gisbergen Amidst the Kiwi’s Australian Farewell

Published 12/10/2023, 4:07 AM EST

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Shane van Gisbergen’s glorious Supercars career has come to an end. After a 17-year-long tenure in the Australian racing circuit culminating in three Supercars championships for the 34-year-old, the Auckland native has moved to NASCAR after having shown consistent top-notch performances in the same.

Thanking the Australian fans for their support and contribution through the years, SVG expressed his excitement for the next chapter of his career on Twitter. Watching one of the series’ finest race car drivers leave, fans wished him luck and extended their support as he’s set to move continents with Trackhouse Racing.

Shane van Gisbergen leaves behind the Supercars chapter on a positive note

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The year 2023 has been a season of change for SVG. His love for NASCAR took a new turn after his historic win at the inaugural Chicago Street Race earlier this year. Following his victory, he later returned to debut on an oval track at the Indianapolis road course, not just in the Cup Series but also in the Truck Series, clinching a Top 10 and a Top 20, respectively. Perhaps his consistent performance on the other side of the world is what motivated him to start on this new journey.

Showing his eagerness to begin his adventures in stock-car racing, Shane van Gisbergen posted on Twitter, “Australia has been good to us, looking forward to what’s next”

Talking about Van Gisbergen’s farewell season, it wasn’t as smooth sailing as the driver would’ve wished for. The racer suffered consecutive DNFs for the first time in over a decade. However, on the flip side, before the season’s final race kicked off, SVG was commemorated as the Most Popular Driver of 2023. Despite not having a great outing, the three-time champion expressed his joy at being recognized by the fans after the race. Voicing his gratitude, he said, “It was amazing to again get the fan choice award for the most popular driver – I never know what to say when I get awards like that as it’s always a surprise to me.

He further added, saying, “I had some great words of support from people before I raced and at our signing sessions this week which has been an amazing feeling to feel appreciated like that. I struggle to show it back to them, I guess, but we had a pretty awesome time with some cool support.”

Arriving as a rookie for Triple Eight in 2007, Gisbergen has surely come a long way in his career. From that to being one of the Supercars series’ best-ever drivers, it has been a wonderful journey for him. As he embarks into another unexplored territory of NASCAR, fans made sure to extend their heartwarming wishes.

Supercars fans wave goodbye to SVG

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After a long stint at Supercars, the fan favorite driver waved a solemn goodbye to his long career. So it was natural that the post announcing his departure from Australia attracted many of his fans who supported him through thick and thin.

One of the fans wished for SVG to replicate his success in the Supercars championship as he wrote, “Good luck SVG and Jess. Hope America is just as good to you as we were.”

Saluting Gisbergen for his contribution to developing the Australian motorsport landscape, another fan commented, “And you’ve been good for the Australian sport you mastered. Look forward to your ride in the USA.”

A certain American racing fan welcomed him with open arms and voiced his pleasure at the pending arrival as he said, “Come on, big dog. Happy to have you!”

“Safe journeys coming to America, Shane. I look forward to cheering you on in your 2024 NASCAR schedule, whether it be Cup, Xfinity, or Trucks,” wrote another fan as he wished to stay tuned to the developments in SVG’s illustrious career.

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“Best of luck, you’ll both be deeply missed in Australian motorsport,” read another comment following a similar pattern.

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Shane van Gisbergen’s entry into NASCAR showcases a window of opportunity for drivers from different racing circuits. Trackhouse Racing has led this movement, and SVG is certainly the first of many drivers to join.

Watch This Story: Trackhouse Racing’s bold leap into Moto GP

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Written by:

Ansuman Abhisek

850Articles

One take at a time

I instantly fell in love with the sport as I witnessed the cars' breakneck speeds and the robust nature of the sport and its drivers. As I had a deep-rooted interest in automobiles, the sport naturally piqued my interest in a jiffy. Kyle Busch and his cutthroat style of racing played an important role in getting me hooked to stock car racing as I hopped on streams to watch him win races.
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Edited by:

Ariva Debnath