The “weakness” van Gisbergen has identified to improve in NASCAR

It’s been an extended yr for Shane van Gisbergen. In his first season racing full-time within the USA, the New Zealander clocked up 33 begins within the NASCAR Xfinity collection and 11 within the Cup collection. After already altering bases as soon as in his profession, to Australia, he has criss-crossed North America and needed to discover ways to regulate to a brand new life.

Understandably, what he’s most wanting ahead to within the low season is getting again to New Zealand – the place, in fact, he’ll go racing once more.

“I’ll do seven Sprintcar races in New Zealand with the United Truck Elements staff,” he says, forward of ending third at Western Springs over the weekend. “That’s who I drove for in Sprintcars two seasons in the past over there. I really like Sprintcars, I grew up racing quarter midgets at Western Springs.”

That’s SVG in a nutshell. He likes to race, something, nearly wherever. His transfer to the NASCAR comes after a 17-year stint and three titles in Supercars, throughout which he additionally managed to compete in a number of different issues that took his fancy. Like, the Bathurst 12 Hour, which he received (in 2016) in a GT3 automobile; or the Bathurst 6 Hour, which he received in 2021 in a Manufacturing Automotive. Or the World Rally Championship, putting third in WRC2 on debut within the 2022 Rally New Zealand. Or 24-hour races at Le Mans, Daytona, Spa. Or drifting. Or…

However the world is aware of him now as a NASCAR driver, and the primary in a era to win on his Cup debut, on the new Chicago avenue course in 2023. This season has been a studying one, a full-time Xfinity programme with Kaulig Racing and chosen Cup begins with Trackhouse Racing the precursor to entering into Cup completely subsequent yr.

“The whole lot is totally different, particularly on the oval aspect,” he says. “That has been an enormous studying expertise and I can’t single out one factor, actually.”

Van Gisbergen, pictured being turfed right into a spin in an Xfinity race at Talladega, has needed to be taught a wholly totally different skillset in adapting to racing on ovals

Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Pictures

If highway racing is the place van Gisbergen is anticipated to shine, on the ovals, he’s a rookie and there’s a lot to get used to.

“It’s a very totally different sport,” he says. “A special type of racing to something that I’ve ever completed. I used to be open-minded, and I had no expectations about outcomes. For me, I felt like I acquired aggressive at some factors of the yr. However I’ve lots to be taught and lots to get higher at.

“I really feel like I’m prepared and looking out ahead to the Cup collection. I’m glad I did a yr of Xfinity to be taught, though the vehicles are lots totally different. That was the correct determination, to do a studying yr and to settle into the nation and the type of racing, earlier than getting thrown to the sharks within the Cup collection.

“My weak spot, I’d say, is the intermediates – the one and a half mile tracks. I’ve had some good outcomes, however I’ve had some fairly common ones as nicely”
Shane van Gisbergen

“NASCAR races are by no means straightforward. You hardly ever see anybody lead the entire race, there are lots of people off-strategy and numerous issues occurring. There’s all the time one thing occurring. That’s what occurred in Chicago final yr.

“That’s the type of the racing right here. It’s important to anticipate the sudden. You might be by no means, ever going to have a straightforward day.”

One race that he may need received was at Watkins Glen in September. Having already received the Xfinity contest the day earlier than, SVG was main on the ultimate lap, in additional time, however a mistake at the Bus Stop allowed Chris Buescher to pass him for the win. Though he was mad about the loss at the time, that didn’t final.

“That’s months in the past! Racing strikes on actually quick right here, that is among the beauties of NASCAR,” he says. “Whether or not you will have week or a foul week, subsequent week there’s one other race. A superb outcome will get forgotten about fairly fast, however so does a foul one.

Van Gisbergen had an amazing probability to win at Watkins Glen, however a last lap slip underneath stress from Buescher dropped him to second

Photograph by: Gavin Baker / NKP / Motorsport Pictures

“I moved on from that, however I actually kicked myself for a few days. I’d have liked to have received that race, however I made an error and also you actually be taught from that. It was an superior end and some of the talked about races on a highway course this yr. It was nice, from that regard.”

One different factor that he has needed to be taught is learn how to work with new crew chiefs. On his Cup schedule he labored with Travis Mack however throughout his Xfinity season he had a change, from Bruce Schlicker to Kevin Walter.

“We had been actually getting stepping into Xfinity, getting lots higher at ovals and getting some actually good outcomes after which, sadly, Bruce had some household stuff [come up] and that sort of put us a bit behind,” he explains.

“I actually would have actually appreciated that to have continued with Bruce until the tip of the yr. He was he was actually good for me and took numerous time and explaining and endurance and serving to me perceive. [Walter is] actually good as nicely however he is a rookie crew chief, like me and and I most likely wanted somebody with expertise to assist me.

“I do not actually know what to ask for but, particularly at tracks I hadn’t been to earlier than, so we actually struggled at new tracks in the direction of the tip of the yr.”

It clearly takes time for a profession road-racer to really feel comfy on ovals and that’s coming, he provides.

“My weak spot, I’d say, is the intermediates – the one-and-a-half-mile tracks,” van Gisbergen admits. “I’ve had some good outcomes, however I’ve had some fairly common ones as nicely the place I’ve by no means actually been aggressive or comfy. That is the place the Cup automobile and the Xfinity vehicles are most totally different, so I am wanting ahead to making an attempt the Cup automobile and getting higher at it.”

There’s additionally the small matter of adjusting to the adjustments that an oval automobile goes by over the longer races.

Understanding how circuit circumstances change in longer races is one thing van Gisbergen has recognized as an space for enchancment

Photograph by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Pictures

“I did the Coke 600 and I felt moderately aggressive there,” he displays. “I keep in mind struggling firstly [of the race] and I handed Joey Logano, who ended up profitable the championship!

“We had some good strikes and we’re working our method up, however then I did Vegas on the finish of the yr, and it was the alternative. I used to be on the again, actually struggling, feeling uncomfortable, and it does not take a lot in these vehicles.”

NASCAR’s Drive for Range programme was most likely not carried out to uncover a race-winning driver from New Zealand

You’ll be able to hear the aggressive edge in his voice. Van Gisbergen has made a quick impression at each stage at which he has raced, and it could be silly to suppose {that a} driver of his expertise is not going to adapt to left-turn-only racing on ovals. It is merely a matter of when that occurs.

Within the meantime, van Gisbergen, associate Jess and their canine Ronald reside the American Dream…

Van Gisbergen is relishing his new profession as he prepares to embark on a primary full season at Cup stage

Photograph by: Gavin Baker / NKP / Motorsport Pictures

Tasmanian pioneer

NASCAR’s Drive for Range programme was most likely not carried out to uncover a race-winning driver from New Zealand – and getting one from Tasmania was most likely an accident as nicely. However that’s what occurred almost twenty years in the past when Marcos Ambrose packed up his spouse Sonja, their daughters and two V8 Supercars championship trophies to tackle the USA.

Ambrose moved to the USA in 2006 and raced for the Wooden Brothers/JTG Daugherty staff within the Craftsman Truck Sequence for a season, then for 2 within the Busch/Nationwide [now Xfinity] collection earlier than transferring to Cup in 2008.

“It took three seasons of NASCAR to really feel like I knew what I used to be doing and was assured behind the wheel on all of the tracks, not simply among the tracks,” he says. “Again once I was working, you used to have a few hours of observe earlier than qualifying, and it was like unfold over three days, so that you had a little bit of probability to be taught the craft. With the present guidelines in NASCAR, you’ve got acquired quarter-hour of observe, then straight into qualifying and into the race.”

In 77 Busch/Nationwide races he took 5 victories, and in Cup he received twice at Watkins Glen, in 2011 and 2012.

“Street races had been simpler for me, fairly easy,” he explains. “You set the automobile up sq., you bought it to brake straight and to get ahead drive, and then you definitely work out the corners after that.

“Whereas, once you go oval racing, the vehicles are totally uneven of their set-ups. You’ve got acquired totally different cambers on every wheel, totally different tyre compounds on every wheel. Principally you’ve got acquired totally different spring charges all over the place and the automobile’s making an attempt to hook your left all day, and it does not wish to actually run.

“I simply keep in mind a observe like Pocono, as an example. We had been getting the vehicles actually low and we had a few spring fee choices behind the automobile. We may run a 180-pound right-rear spring or we may run 1800 kilos! It was coil-bound, or we ran a spring that was laborious sufficient to carry the automobile up and maintain it off the bottom.

“The observe adjustments a lot. You go from the day to the night time which adjustments issues as nicely. In case your automobile was in entrance, you may lead 30, 40 laps, no issues. You set your self again in 18th or twentieth within the soiled air and you may’t make any progress. So actually, it is about observe place throughout the night time and being sensible with the methods and the pit stops.

“The vehicles had been superior, however actually, the entire thing was unbelievable.”

Ambrose was a pioneer of the swap from Supercars to NASCAR

Photograph by: LAT Photographic