Shane van Gisbergen has ripped through the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season when the track turns left and right. The New Zealander secured victories in Mexico City, the Chicago Street Course, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and Charlotte, five road-course wins in his rookie full-time Cup campaign. At Sonoma, he even tied Jeff Gordon’s feat of three straight road-course wins from the pole. However, his dream run in the No. 88 comes to an end here, as Trackhouse revealed its driver lineup for next year.

The Kiwi is set to drive a number that has a deep emotional connection in his life. Trackhouse has given him his family’s beloved No. 97, a number that has defined generations of van Gisbergen racers. “It’s a number that means a lot to my family and me,” he says. As he gets ready to sit in it, Kurt Busch, a legendary driver who once sat behind it, too, has left a heartfelt message for him.

Busch is all heart for SVG

For Kurt Busch, longtime NASCAR Cup Series veteran and 2004 champion, the moment came in a heartfelt Instagram post addressed to Shane Van Gisbergen. Busch wrote, “@svg97, remember meeting you in Chicago 2022 before you won your first race in your first Cup start. Could sense that you would be great. Also asked where the origin of the #97 came from. You said family. I am so proud that the #97 is back in G-NASCAR, make it great again!”

That message underlines not just respect between two drivers but a deeper passing of a racing identity. Busch’s use of the number 97 carries historic resonance. He himself raced the No. 97 car for much of his Cup career, and now Van Gisbergen drives the same number for Trackhouse Racing, giving the “97” renewed meaning in NASCAR’s current era.

Van Gisbergen, a former Supercars champion who made his own break in NASCAR, has already demonstrated his talent. For example, his road-course wins this year have marked him as one of the fastest newcomers. The connection that Busch referenced, meeting in Chicago in 2022, adds a personal layer. That was Van Gisbergen’s debut Cup win in the Windy City, cementing his place and creating a natural anchor for Busch’s message.

Busch’s pride is palpable in his words. By referencing van Gisbergen’s family origin of the number 97, he acknowledges not just a driver changing cars but a legacy in motion. In motorsports, numbers are not just digits; they become emblems. Busch’s statement “make it great again!” suggests a belief that Van Gisbergen is not only inheriting the number but has the potential to elevate it. It is meaningful that a veteran driver reaches out publicly in this way, signaling respect for both the past and the future.

For van Gisbergen, the message likely serves as both encouragement and pressure. With Busch’s blessing, the No. 97 becomes more than just a ride. It becomes a continuation of a story. Already this season, van Gisbergen has stepped into the spotlight. His performance on road and street courses has drawn comparisons to the very best in the sport. And now, with Busch’s endorsement, it is clear that this number and this driver are being watched with even greater intensity.

That transition speaks to a broader theme in racing: the passing of traditions, the evolution of talent, and the way symbols endure. For Busch, the decision to publicly recognize van Gisbergen and the 97 is a way of weaving the old guard into the new. For fans, it offers a moment to reflect on how drivers carry not just speed but legacies. And for Van Gisbergen, it is a layer of identity, one that connects his family’s meaning about “97”, his own performance, and the trust of a champion.

Talking about numbers, his teammate Connor Zilisch also has a very special one.

Zilisch wears Dale’s Jr number

Connor Zilisch is about to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut, carrying one of the most recognizable numbers in the sport’s history, the No. 88. The young driver earned his shot after an impressive Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports, where he won 10 races driving the same number under team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Now, as he joins Trackhouse Racing for his rookie campaign, he will continue flying the 88 banner, a number long tied to some of NASCAR’s biggest legends like Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Dale Jarrett, and of course, Earnhardt Jr.

Originally, Zilisch was expected to replace Daniel Suárez in Trackhouse’s No. 99 Chevrolet, but the team made a change after Shane van Gisbergen, who drove the No. 97 in Australia’s Supercars, requested to bring back his family’s traditional number for the 2025 season.

The No. 88’s legacy dates back to Buck Baker’s 1950s victories and includes Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s memorable Hendrick Motorsports stint from 2008 to 2017, as well as Alex Bowman’s early Cup wins in 2019 and 2020. “There’s definitely a lot of pride that comes with this number,” Zilisch said. “It’s something special, and I just hope I can add to that history.”