Shane van Gisbergen 'had a ball' racing to P10 finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
In his second NASCAR stint, Shane van Gisbergen was able to get out of Indianapolis with another top-10 finish to his name. SVG got a taste of oval racing in the Truck Series and then went to the Indy Road Course to go trophy hunting again.
While Shane van Gisbergen didn’t have a car that could compete with Michael McDowell for the win, he battled all day long. He went in and out of the top-10 throughout the Verizon 200. He had to beat and bang with drivers like Alex Bowman and Christopher Bell.
While the Truck Series race at IRP was all a learning experience, the Cup race was more of SVG’s wheelhouse. During the race, van Gisbergen found that his throttle was sticking.
“I guess everyone’s expectations are high because of Chicago but top-10 is still awesome,” SVG said, via Matt Weaver of Sportsnaut. “Just had a ball with the Project 91 guys all week and the EnhanceHealth coming on board like they’re excited to be on board with Chevy. Yeah, just had a ball. The race was pretty tough a lot more contact and pushing around and stuff. Like I got pushed out of the way by Alex Bowman but I blocked him and then he pushed me straightaway. Learn pretty quick not to block that early and it’s all part of it. Yeah, I was enjoying it the whole time.”
For SVG, this was another successful trip to the States. He still has work to do in Supercars. Brodie Kostecki, who drove for RCR in the No. 33 and finished P22 in his NASCAR debut, leads the points standings Down Under.
So, Shane van Gisbergen had his first taste of oval racing and his first Indy start. What is next for the Kiwi?
Shane van Gisbergen is coming to NASCAR
While there is doubt he will be in the Cup Series full-time next season, SVG will be in the United States racing stock cars by 2024. Rumors are out that Trackhouse Racing is going to sign the Chicago Street Course winner to a developmental deal. This will allow him to race in all kinds of series and cars to build his talent.
If NASCAR was 37 races on the road, then Shane van Gisbergen could come over next year and compete for a championship. However, given his shortcomings on ovals right now, that isn’t likely to happen. And not just ovals, think about the difference between Richmond and say, Daytona or Talladega.
With so much to learn and at just 34 years old, SVG has time to figure out the things that make NASCAR challenging. However, we have seen just how quickly he learns when he’s behind the wheel of a car, or a truck.
Shane van Gisbergen might not be a Cup Series contender in 2024. Watch out though, in the next few years he will be a driver that has his name in the mix for the Bill France Cup.