SHANE van Gisbergen hopes his performance on NASCAR Cup Series debut in Chicago creates opportunities for other Supercars drivers.
Van Gisbergen left the NASCAR field gobsmacked with his drive to victory at the weekend, champion Chase Elliott conceding he’d been made to look second-rate while three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin crowned SVG the “greatest f***ing athlete” in history.
If NASCAR wasn’t already keeping tabs on Supercars after Marcos Ambrose’s stint in the States, they sure are now.
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And that comes as van Gisbergen eyes a full-time NASCAR future while the likes of Brodie Kostecki and Cam Waters are scoping out cameo opportunities of their own as soon as this year.
“Hopefully (this) shows how good our Supercars drivers are and opens the floodgates and we can come over here and race,” said van Gisbergen, who described the Aussie and Kiwi support he experienced as “overwhelming”.
“There hasn’t been anyone from Supercars since Marcos really come and have a go, but there’s plenty of good drivers now wanting to come try and expand and come over here.
“Any of the top 10 in Supercars are good enough to come and do what I just did.”
Van Gisbergen admitted the Chicago win hadn’t instantly usurped all the Supercars achievements in his decorated career.
“Supercars is my dream, and winning that championship and races like Bathurst over there are still top of the list,” he said.
“But to come in and do this, yeah, I don’t know where it ranks yet… it’s obviously one of the most special victories I’ve ever had, and to share it with so many people, to have my Dad come over and a few other family, and, yeah, like how awesome this team is, it’s great.
“Trackhouse is such a cool organisation to be part of. The atmosphere in the team, I’ve never really experienced anything like it before.”
The 34-year-old praised NASCAR for its execution of the inaugural event, and noted the circuit had a Gold Coast feel to it.
“It’s pretty similar to some tracks we have,” he said.
“Like the last half of Surfers Paradise is pretty similar to this.
“But the changes in surface were extreme. To go from old to new, and then the concrete, I’ve never driven on concrete like that really. Maybe Sebring a little bit.
“Then when it rained the concrete was crazy slippery for everyone, so quite different.
“But for NASCAR, like their first ever street race and the way the weekend ran, unfortunately the Xfinity Series didn’t happen, but yeah, it’s credit to NASCAR to nail it on their first weekend.
“Hopefully it leads to more street courses, and I’d love to be here for them.”
Van Gisbergen will be racing on another street circuit this weekend: Reid Park in Townsville for Round 6 of the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship.
