There are only a handful of NASCAR drivers who can say they have won their first-ever Cup race in their debut, and Shane van Gisbergen is one of those few. The 34-year-old, who is a 3-time Supercar Cup champion in his country, has now burst onto the NASCAR scene with Trackhouse Racing. From just featuring in two Cup races last season to now running a full-time schedule with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series, he has certainly come a long way in a short span.

With the Xfinity Series, SVG will also feature in at least seven Cup Series races for Trackhouse Racing in 2024. However, this time around, the Kiwi driver will have the full NASCAR experience, from superspeedways, short tracks, street courses, and oval circuits. So, the difficulty factor catches up from here on. Acknowledging the challenges ahead for him, Shane van Gisbergen also spoke about how big of a shock the season’s opener at Daytona will be for him.

Shane van Gisbergen does not know what to expect at the inaugural Daytona race

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will kick off with its first race of the season at Daytona International Speedway on February 17. For any aspiring stock car racer, racing at the iconic venue is a dream come true moment. However, Van Gisbergen, who now will be driving Kaulig Racing’s No. 97 for a full schedule, has expressed his concerns about the new experience, especially the one at Daytona International Speedway.

The Xfinity Series does have a good mix of all race courses, but for SVG, this will be a different ball game altogether. Expressing his concerns about the big race while speaking on the NASCAR Live podcast on Spotify, he said, “The first race is gonna be a shock, like Daytona is so far remote to what I have ever done. So, I don’t really know what to expect or how to approach it. But I’m sure I’ll get some good advice from people and try to settle in, get through it.”

Shane van Gisbergen knows how unpredictable the races in NASCAR can be, despite having clinched a Cup race last season. Getting used to new elements is the message SVG sent out while preparing for the 2024 season, one of the major ones being working in tandem with a spotter. “You know I ran some good laps and get in some good races and got used to a spotter like I never had a spotter before so yeah everything is different but I had fun.”

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By no means, is SVG an inexperienced campaigner he does come to NASCAR on the back of an impressive resume.

Shane van Gisbergen’s successful stint in the Supercar Championship back home

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SVG’s dominant run in the Supercar championship goes beyond his three title wins. In fact, from 2016 to 2023, in seven long years, he was always a title contender with a top-4 finish in each of those years. Not to forget, in a year where things were looking bright for him with the NASCAR call-up, he ended the season on a winning note with a win at the Bathurst 1000. With over 500 races and 81 wins, SVG sure left a legacy on the Australian racing circuits and made a big switch to America.

It may look like the Supercars series is a past that SVG will forget once he gets the taste of NASCAR, but this is not the case. While announcing his switch to trackhouse racing for Cup races, he hinted that he would be back for more glory in Supercars sometime in the future. “I’ll be back one day, probably. For now, this is the perfect way to say goodbye. I like this place and love the series still. I want it to be successful.”

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All eyes will be on Shane van Gisbergen for the 2024 NASCAR season. Will he stay true to the hype or just go down as a foreign racer who had one bright moment in his career?