“Just wasn’t comfortable with the car there,” said Shane van Gisbergen after the checkered flag was waved at Texas Motor Speedway. The Kiwi racer had a disastrous qualifying campaign, but managed to claw his way out from 37th place to briefly break into the top 15 before fading away and finishing 22nd.

But that wasn’t new for his campaign. That has been his story this season, and apart from a sixth-place result at Circuit of the Americas, results have been hard to come by for the racer.

Shane van Gisbergen’s rookie Cup Series campaign hasn’t exactly gone as planned. Expectations were high from the veteran racer when he took on a full-time role with Trackhouse Racing during the off-season, especially after his impressive Xfinity Series season last year. Wins at Portland, Sonoma, and Chicago were promising, and Justin Marks probably felt the No. 88 racer would hit the ground running at NASCAR’s highest level. But that hasn’t been the case, and to make matters worse, the racer also has six speeding penalties already.

So you can imagine his surprise that Shane van Gisbergen is currently one of the top-10 fan vote-getters for the North Wilkesboro event. Could the 35-year-old automatically qualify for the event with fans on his side? The signs are looking good so far.

Despite it all, the Kiwi is currently among the top 10 drivers in the All-Star fan vote. As things stand, joining Shane van Gisbergen are Bubba Wallace, Ty Gibbs, Ryan Preece, Carson Hocevar, and Noah Gragson, along with a few others. If SVG does manage to win, he has the chance to beat Gragson, the driver who’s won the vote two years in a row.

Taken aback by the support, SVG couldn’t help but write, “That’s pretty cool! Thanks everyone for the votes 😀👍” on X. While there’s still a long way to go in terms of actually qualifying for the All-Star Race, the signs are looking very encouraging for the racer.

The process to make it to the All-Star Race is simple. A driver needs to win a Cup Series race in either 2024 or 2025, or be a past winner of the non-points-paying event. Or he must be a Cup Series champion who is currently competing full-time. Two other ways of getting into the All-Star race are by being a top-two finisher in the All-Star Open or by being a winner of the NASCAR Fan Vote. That’s what Shane van Gisbergen is aiming for.

Meanwhile, SVG is also eyeing those road course races to change the narrative around his form. He’ll have tracks such as Sonoma, Chicago Street Race, and Charlotte Roval circled on the calendar and will be hopeful they’ll get him out of this slump. The 35-year-old is a ‘specialist’ on such tracks, and he’ll want to play to his strengths to make it to the playoffs.

He has made his intentions clear. “It’s racing and that’s what we do. The biggest thing now is that I’m racing every week and I’ve got to prep with my guys. I’m in the sim every week and that sort of thing. The schedule’s more intense, but for me, that’s what I want to be doing.”

However, only time will tell if he succeeds in his rookie campaign.

Van Gisbergen shares expectations for the 2025 season

It was never going to be easy. The jump to NASCAR’s highest level is a big one, even for a racer who secured seven top-five finishes, including three wins in the Xfinity Series last year. But Shane van Gisbergen has taken it all in his stride, although the results have left much to be desired. Eleven races in, and the Kiwi is 35th in the drivers’ standings, having retired early thrice and leading just 25 laps. But despite it all, he’s keeping a positive mindset, soaking in the experience one race at a time.

Sharing his expectations for the season ahead, van Gisbergen candidly said, “Honestly, I never set any goals for myself. I just try to do my best. I know that I’ve got a huge opportunity here and I’m trying to make the most of it. You know, it’s a huge step outside my comfort zone, coming over here and racing something different. Other than really wanting to improve on ovals this year, I’m not putting any expectations on results or championship positioning. If we win some races, that’s great and I’m sure we’ll celebrate. But I just want to take the season as it comes and have fun doing it.”

Shane van Gisbergen has described the Cup Series schedule as “intense”, but despite the physical and mental demands from NASCAR’s highest level, the racer is enjoying every second of it, going on to say, “that’s what I want to be doing.” He may not have reached the heights from his debut race in Chicago in 2023, but it feels like only a matter of time before he’s in Victory Lane again. Do you think SVG can turn his season around and make it to the playoffs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!