Shane van Gisbergen’s off-season trip to his home country hasn’t been a smooth sailing ride. With an entire week’s worth of sprint car races added to his schedule, SVG had his hands full getting back to sprint car racing, something he hadn’t been able to do since the start of the 2024 season in NASCAR. So, with excitement and hopes of multiple race wins, SVG kick-started his off-season adventure. But these off-season shenanigans have flipped on the Trackhouse Racing driver after being mired in crashes and wrecks.

After a good race event at Waikaraka Park, where he finished 3rd, SVG was scheduled to compete at Western Springs Speedway. Having won the heat race at Baypark, the Kiwi Speedster was hoping for similar results, but instead, he found himself on the bitter end of a massive crash. The incident resulted in a big pile-up, with race cars being launched into the catch fence. Apart from the drivers, a spectator also ended up being affected by the crash.

Shane van Gisbergen counts his blessings after being caught in a big crash

Be it asphalt, concrete, or dirt, drivers are always pushing the limits when it comes to getting the best possible results. However, the outcome of constant beating and banging also leads to wild crashes and major accidents. And that is exactly what transpired at Western Springs Speedway. Kiwi driver Michael Pickens in the #54 car and Jonathan Allard were the ones who sparked the massive pile-up.

SVG has just been recovering from his violent flip at Tauranga, but it seems like he’s on a streak of bad runs and ends up getting wrecked. The good news is that none of the drivers involved in the crash sustained any major injuries. “They have no serious injuries and will be released,” a Western Springs Speedway spokesperson said as reported by the New Zealand Herald. However, a spectator sustained some minor injuries that came to light in the aftermath of the massive crash.

Shane van Gisbergen wasn’t directly involved in the incident that led to the crash, but he couldn’t escape from being caught in it. His #97 sprint car ended up getting pinned against the wall, while another race car rammed into him from the side. Dean Cooper and Zachary Sokol were also the drivers that were caught up in this wreck.

Coming off a straightaway run, the two drivers were side by side heading into the corner. With neither of the two drivers backing off, Pickens and Allard got tangled with each other. Allan’s No. 4 car flipped wildly in the air, doing barrel rolls before eventually coming to rest on the fence. Meanwhile, Picken’s car was airborne and hit the catch fence as well.

Well, this incident isn’t going to dampen SVG’s spirit as he looks to complete his sprint car tour before making his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series.

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SVG could clinch the Rookie of the Year title in 2025

The Kiwi speedster’s NASCAR journey started with the inaugural race on the Streets of Chicago. Piloting the #91 Trackhouse Racing car, he scripted history by clinching a victory in his debut appearance. Little did he know that this one result would lead to more opportunities at NASCAR and force his hands into moving to the United States.

Well, he certainly lived up to his expectations competing in the Xfinity Series, racking up multiple wins, and making it into the playoffs. For a driver who left a successful career in Supercars and took on a new challenge in a new environment, this was indeed a testament to his racing skills. Justin Marks and Co. knew that he was the right fit for Trackhouse in their expansion project, which is why they signed him on a full-time ride in the Cup Series for 2025.

Explaining the reasoning behind hiring SVG, Justin Marks said, “The reason we chose to go with Shane for this third car is that, yeah, there’s not a lot of experience in the Cup Series, there’s some unknowns, can be a lot of hard work, but Shane checks a lot of boxes for a really, really compelling story and building great business in this sport. He’s incredibly talented. He’s incredibly dedicated.” 

Going into the 2025 season, SVG will take up #88 for his car, following in the footsteps of Dale Earnhardt Jr. All that is left is to build on the immense legacy Junior left behind. We saw Shane van Gisbergen reign supreme on the road courses. He even learned the tricks of the trade on the ovals, but he will need to bring his A-game to survive at the Cup level. With the likes of Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain, he will bring a new dynamic to the team. This combination could result in a deep run for Trackhouse in the playoffs and see them contend for race wins.