Tony Stewart isn’t your typical generational racer. His father raced locally but never made it big, though he fully supported Steward’s early Karting ambitions. With no deep family racing roots, Stewart matched the likes of Kyle Busch with his fearless racing attitude. His ruthless competitiveness on the track has attracted quite a following. One young Kiwi driver was especially hooked.

The Tony Stewart effect on young drivers

Shane van Gisbergen didn’t grow up watching the likes of Dale Earnhardt or Richard Petty. Back at home, he was more focused on his local racing heroes. But clearly, Tony Stewart’s tough racing personality had a major effect on him.

“He just was always having a crack, and even when he wasn’t winning, he was still the highlight in the highlights, you know?” he said, on the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour show, praising Stewart above many of the drivers he had seen growing up. “He was always doing something cool. So, and then actually, in Chicago, I got to work with Darian Grubb, who was his crew chief. So, awesome.”

While SVG never had the opportunity to race directly against his childhood NASCAR hero, he did get closer to Stewart through working with Darian Grubb, who once served as Stewart’s crew chief and now works with Trackhouse Racing.

Tony Stewart’s influence in NASCAR was widespread. Apart from being a driver, his joint venture of owning a team with Gene Haas led to the creation of one of the most successful Cup Series teams. In fact, Kevin Harvick won his only Cup championship with the team back in 2014. The team competed until the end of the 2024 season before ultimately shutting down operations.

Although retired from full-time Cup Series racing at the end of the 2016 season, Stewart never left racing behind him. He currently runs in the NHRA for his team and is extremely competitive there as well. This is the reason why many young drivers see him as a role model, over anyone else including Kyle Busch and his “rowdy” personality.

Kyle Busch earned his fame with the “Rowdy” persona and aggressive racing, but Shane van Gisbergen looked up to Tony Stewart growing up. Stewart’s fearless attitude and knack for creating unforgettable moments on the track made him one of the Kiwi driver’s biggest inspirations.

As for Shane van Gisbergen, he has showcased immense versatility as well. He previously raced in the Supercars Series, but moved to NASCAR in 2023, winning his first Cup race on his debut in Chicago. Given his experience, he is currently the driver to beat in road courses. While he hasn’t been the best on ovals, Van Gisbergen has been improving massively. But it hasn’t been the easiest journey for him.

Shane van Gisbergen reveals what he found the hardest to adapt to in NASCAR

Shane van Gisbergen’s career path has been most interesting. As mentioned, his experience in the Supercars Series has helped him to get a strong grip in NASCAR. As of now, he drives full-time for Trackhouse Racing. Evidently, he didn’t find the transition from Supercars to stock racing very easy. As he revealed, the limited practice time and minimal laps available before qualifying became his biggest challenge in the Cup Series.

“So, you drive out on a track, and you only get two or three laps on a tire, and then the grip really drops,” he said. “Then you get comfortable, and then you’ve got to go and do qualifying, and you get one corner to feel what you’ve got. It’s just so hard to just go and do it.”

But safe to say, he has been improving lately. It shows in his overall driving and performance, even on ovals.

Being a Tony Stewart fan, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Shane van Gisbergen commits himself to versatility. He shows that he is here to win. While he narrowly missed out on that while racing down at the Circuit of the Americas earlier last week, his dominance on road courses has already made him one of NASCAR’s most dangerous drivers whenever the series turns right and left.