Before Shane van Gisbergen, another Aussie driver used to rule the NASCAR fans’ hearts. Marcos Ambrose was a fan favorite back in the 2000s and 2010s, and when Gisbergen decided to run NASCAR, the former star became his mentor. Though he hasn’t been to America in a long time, Gisbergen has just hinted that his return could actually be sooner than expected.

Marcos Ambrose regains health after cancer battle

When asked about his potential return, SVG said, “Yeah. I spoke to him last time, but he is really busy with the series, and he is like—the single-seater had a big resurgence due to him. But I heard he is coming over soon, but don’t know when.”

For the past two years, Marcos Ambrose has been fighting colorectal cancer. He was at Stage IV, making his condition far more urgent and worse than he could’ve imagined. However, due to a full liver transplant, Ambrose was able to survive it. He has not won his battle over cancer yet, but the transplant gave him more time.

Currently, Ambrose is healthy and spreading awareness about organ donation. In fact, he’s crossed more than a year from the initial prognosis of his survival period. And now Gisbergen’s interview confirms that he might be back in America soon.

Over all these years, Gisbergen has had a unique relationship with Ambrose. While Marcos Ambrose never hinted that he was a mentor to SVG, Gisbergen himself confirms that he has provided assistance to the Aussie time and again during his NASCAR stint in the past few years. Back in 2025, SVG also made a surprise revelation about him.

“I used to pester him every week last year, especially when I was going to new tracks, and it’s just amazing. Some of the stuff he talked about and the way he described the cars, I haven’t really felt that until this year, like how you sort of just slump in the seat and let the car do what it does underneath you.”

For Shane van Gisbergen, his compatriot was the best mentor he could’ve had. Their experience in the Australian V8 Supercar championship and achievements as champions put them on the same level. Ambrose was able to find success in NASCAR when no one expected him to.

No wonder he was able to advise SVG, who was looking like a gamble for Trackhouse Racing. As such, SVG has also proved that Ambrose’s success and victories weren’t a fluke either. Although he is yet to win an oval in the Cup Series, SVG is rapidly climbing the ladder and putting forth multiple impressive performances.

Even his former mentor was happy with his performance and cleared him as a driver with a bright future. “He’s a rare find; he’s got a rare talent. He deserves to be on the international stage, and he’s found his path in NASCAR. He’s winning road races over there. He’s learning his craft with the ovals. I feel like he’s passed the risk period,” Marcos says about SVG.

So, how does the upcoming Aussie superstar’s race look at a track that brings nearly every NASCAR driver to their knees?

Shane van Gisbergen finds positive signs at Martinsville

“It’s going well, but we still need a bit more speed. Vegas was a bit of a surprise; we thought we were going to be good there, but we all struggled.

“Yeah, those types of tracks we probably need to get better at as a team, but overall on the outside, personally, 97 is being pretty decent. Just need to keep getting better and making fewer mistakes.”

That is how Gisbergen currently feels about his car’s performance on ovals. His words are solidified by the good finishes he has had in the past few weekends. Even though his Trackhouse Racing car has the speed of a back marker, SVG often finds himself in the middle of the pack with his newfound skills on the ovals.

While his heel-toe technique is the boon that helps him win races on the road course, SVG does not feel like his Supercar experience translates very well to the high-speed NASCAR ovals and pack racing.

“It doesn’t. I find it like it’s two hairpins, but it drives so differently, like minimum speeds well around the corner rather than in the middle. Then, the left foot’s braking and downshifting technique is quite different. For me it doesn’t really translate, but it’s one of my stronger tracks too, so I guess it does a little bit.”

His honest admission makes it clear that it has been a difficult ride for him to transition to Cup Series racing. But his fast-track progress has been the biggest positive so far. In time, SVG might end up doubling down on his mentor’s legacy and become a legendary NASCAR driver himself.