In 2025, Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen became a household name among the NASCAR community. All thanks to his impressive road course performances and multiple Cup Series wins. However, even the thought of seeing a Supercars driver in NASCAR, let alone dominating it, wouldn’t have been possible, if not for Justin Marks’ innovative Project 91.

For the uninitiated, Project 91 aims to provide a part-time entry to international drivers in the Cup Series. In addition to van Gisbergen, the program has helped drivers like Kimi Räikkönen and Hélio Castroneves get behind the wheel of a NASCAR Cup car. And now? Trackhouse isn’t done. Far from it. In fact, the next chapter is already taking shape. And it might be backed by a $22 billion powerhouse.

Project 91 gets wings

Justin Marks had a definitive response for those wondering if Trackhouse’s ambitious global experiment, Project 91, was subtly fading away: “No — it’s never dead, never ever ever dead, ever dead,” he said. The team’s leader affirmed that Project 91 is still in existence and will probably make a comeback in 2026, possibly with the support of a multibillion-dollar multinational corporation: Red Bull.

Despite missing 2024, the project had a clear impact. SVG is currently a Trackhouse Cup driver full-time and a future NASCAR superstar. With an impressive resume of drivers like Räikkönen, SVG, and Castroneves, Marks revealed the next step isn’t finding drivers. That’s the easy part. Rather, the hard work lies in finding the right sponsor.

“Where Project 91 is now is we go promote the program in the sponsorship market and sign a sponsor, and then we try to work with the sponsor on what kind of athlete they’d like to see. I would bet on it coming back in ’26, and we’re pretty close to getting that deal done. There’s some good opportunities,” Justin Marks revealed. And that’s where Red Bull comes in.

Red Bull’s return to NASCAR after a 13-year hiatus has already been accomplished by Trackhouse, surpassing the expectations of many. The massive energy drink company joined Justin Marks’ team this season with Zilisch and van Gisbergen, and now seems ready to grow that collaboration. They are looking to connect with Trackhouse’s wider multisport footprint, which includes MotoGP, sports cars, and perhaps a possible Indy 500 entry with Zilisch.

Marks calls Red Bull “as good of a brand as there is in motorsports,” noting their global reach, racing knowledge, and promotional firepower. As NASCAR pushes deeper into mainstream culture, he believes Red Bull is the ideal accelerator. “Everybody knows Red Bull. They want to make big moments happen just like we do,” Marks concluded.

It will be interesting to see how far this partnership can go. If Red Bull fully steps in, Project 91 won’t just return. It could evolve into NASCAR’s most powerful global bridge yet.

Marks’ star driver coaching Austin Cindric

One of the most eagerly awaited Supercar debuts by a current NASCAR driver is Austin Cindric’s wildcard entry into the BP Adelaide Grand Final. The 2022 Daytona 500 victor will be the first American to compete in the Repco Supercars Championship since 2019, driving a Ford Mustang prepared by Tickford Racing.

Along with his abundance of talent, he also brings a significant advantage: tutoring from Shane van Gisbergen, one of Supercars’ best exports. SVG may now be a NASCAR rival, but when it comes to Supercars, he isn’t letting Cindric go in blind. The three-time Supercars champion sent him a simple, blunt, and extremely telling message. “Hey, if you want to be any good down there, you’ve got to right-foot brake.”

Supercars rely heavily on heel-and-toe driving, a technique where the driver uses the right foot to brake and blip the throttle simultaneously to keep the engine stable while downshifting. It’s old-school, but wickedly effective. And, as you saw, SVG used it to dominate NASCAR road courses in 2025, winning five races in his rookie year.

Fans noticed right away when Cindric began playing with it during early laps in the Gen3 Supercar. In his onboard video, he was shown using the pedals in an unexpected pattern and quickly adjusting to a left-foot braking technique that is uncommon in the Cup Series.

“[Van Gisbergen] has been really cool about the whole experience. It’s different than Scotty Mac. Like he’s been texting me every single day since I’ve been here,” Cindric said, clearly appreciating the help. Now, the student arrives in Australia guided by Shane van Gisbergen as the master.

If SVG taught him well, Cindric might just surprise a few veterans on the streets of Adelaide.