Scott McLaughlin says Shane van Gisbergen could race for whoever he wanted in the US
As Shane van Gisbergen’s NASCAR cameo draws closer, a former Supercars champ who also headed to the US says the Triple Eight ace could get a drive wherever he wanted if he chose to move.
Motorsport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Motorsport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin has predicted Shane van Gisbergen could get a drive “anywhere he wanted” if he pursued a racing career in America ahead of the Triple Eight ace’s NASCAR cameo in July.
Speaking from the US ahead of this weekend’s Indy 500, the triple Supercars champion turned IndyCar racer encouraged van Gisbergen to cash in on the “very high” respect level for Supercars drivers in world motorsport.
McLaughlin revealed he planned to catch up with van Gisbergen while he was in the US for his NASCAR debut in July and hoped to arrange an IndyCar seat fit for him at his Team Penske’s headquarters.
It was announced last week van Gisbergen would contest the NASCAR Cup Series Chicago street race on July 2 in a one-off deal with Trackhouse Racing.
McLaughlin, who won three straight Supercars championships before leaving the series to race IndyCar at the end of 2020, hailed it as a “big opportunity” for his fellow Kiwi.
“It’s awesome, I texted him a couple of times about it. We are going to try and catch up in Charlotte and get him a seat fit, so that’s going to be cool,” McLaughlin said.
“(It’s a) big opportunity for him. I think it’s going to be his cup of tea being on a street circuit and a place where no one has driven before.
“So from that perspective the only thing he has got to learn is the car and as we know with Shane, he is very adaptable to many conditions and many different driving techniques.
“I fully believe he is going to be right there and I hope it goes well for him because he is a huge talent and someone I have been keeping an eye on while I have been over here and we have been keeping in contact.
“It is just great for Supercars as well … it just proves how good Supercars is and the talent pool down under.”
Van Gisbergen’s NASCAR cameo has added to speculation about the defending champion’s long-term future in Supercars, having spoken about the attraction of “new challenges”.
Asked if he would encourage van Gisbergen to pursue a full-time racing career in the US, McLaughlin said the three-time V8 champion would have no trouble finding a drive.
“I would just encourage him, if he wants to do something, to do it because right now the respect level for Supercars in the world of motorsport is very high and I’m sure he could get a drive anywhere he wanted,” McLaughlin said.
“I have always wanted to do it (race in the US). I don‘t know what Shane wants to do if it interests him at all. My dream was maybe different to his.
“He is a guy that wants to drive anything and whether he wants to drive NASCAR full-time, I don’t know.
“I would love to see him in IndyCar as well, I think he would be great … he could certainly fit in a race car.
“I don’t control a lot of that stuff, but if he tried, he would be fine.”
McLaughlin dismissed the possibility of van Gisbergen and himself one day pairing up in a dream Bathurst 1000 combination as “unlikely”, despite both now being aligned to Chevrolet.
The pair formerly shared a fierce on-track Ford v Holden rivalry in Supercars.
While acknowledging he would love to race with van Gisbergen, McLaughlin said he had “moved on” from Supercars as he focused on his IndyCar career.
“I highly doubt it, that’s about it,” McLaughlin said when asked about the chances of one day pairing up with van Gisbergen in a Red Bull Camaro.
“If there was one person in the Supercars paddock that I would love to race Bathurst with, it would be Shane, but I have got loyalties to my people that I have worked with over there and a few other things.
“I have done what I wanted to do there. Right now, (my) want to race Bathurst in Supercars, it’s nothing on Supercars, I have moved on and focusing on what I need to do.
“It’s something that I would love another crack at Bathurst at some point but I want to make sure it’s the right opportunity and a chance that I could win, but it’s not probably in the foreseeable future and I highly doubt it would probably be with them.”
Supercars bosses express SVG fears as NASCAR debut looms
Former Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose says Shane van Gisbergen boasts the “natural talent” to shine in NASCAR after it was revealed the Triple Eight star would make his debut in the American category with a July street race cameo.
The last Supercars driver to make the move to NASCAR, Ambrose said van Gisbergen was in the prime of his career, but he shouldn’t “wait too much longer” if he wanted to pursue a racing career outside of Supercars in the United States.
It was announced on Friday the three-time Supercars champion would contest the NASCAR Cup Series Chicago street race on July 2 in a one-off deal with Trackhouse Racing.
He will race the No. 91 Chevrolet in the category’s inaugural street race, heading to the US immediately after the Darwin Supercars round on June 18 before returning to resume the Supercars season at Townsville on July 7.
The Red Bull ace will attend the Nashville Superspeedway event on June 25 to familiarise himself with NASCAR before jumping behind the wheel on the street circuit.
The NASCAR cameo adds more fuel to discussion about van Gisbergen’s long-term future in Supercars, having spoken about the attraction of “new challenges” amid his early frustration with the new Gen3 product.
Ambrose, who raced NASCAR for nine years from 2006, said van Gisbergen was at the perfect stage of his career and racing powers to make a move to the US.
“He can apply himself well to any category in the world, he has done rally, drifting, he has done V8 Supercars, he is now going over to do some NASCAR. He can do whatever he likes, he is just one of those real natural talents that can jump into anything and be fast,” Ambrose, a two-time Supercars champion, said.
“It’s really up to Shane to work out what he wants to do. He is in the prime of his career to be honest, he’s as good as he is ever going to get, he is the right age, experience level now and he is in his prime.
“If he is going to make a move like that to NASCAR …. I wouldn’t wait too much longer, but I think he is certainly up for it if he wanted to go do something different.
“America is where it is at, if you want to get paid as a driver and you want to race against big fields and race for millions of dollars in prize money, you have got to go to the States and you’ve got to go to NASCAR.
“If that’s where he is looking, I’m sure he’s going to be eyes wide open on this one.
“He has got a chance to go over there and race NASCAR at its highest level … he is an exceptionally good driver, one of the best of all-time in V8 Supercars, and I’m sure he is going to go well.”
Triple Eight last month announced it had signed van Gisbergen to a multi-year contract to keep him with the team until at least the end of 2024. But it’s understood the new deal is a season-by-season extension heavily weighted in the Kiwi’s favour, should he choose to look elsewhere beyond next year.
Triple Eight team manager Mark Dutton said van Gisbergen would make the NASCAR cameo with the team’s blessing, but hoped his long-term future remained in Supercars.
“Honestly, you would be incredibly sad to lose him, we always wish anyone in the team, drivers included, the best if they are moving on to different categories,” Dutton said.
“I hope he doesn’t (leave Supercars), but if he was to, because it’s not another (Supercars) team you are defecting to, then for sure there would definitely be no hard feelings.
“Within the category if they move, that’s when you get upset. But when they go onto some pretty cool stuff like NASCAR, Formula One, things like that, they definitely go with your blessing.
“He will go exceptionally well. He has amazing feel, amazing talent and amazing adaptability and his work ethic is second to none, so that will set him apart when he goes into any competition he will quickly get up to speed.”
Supercars chief executive Shane Howard said the series did not “want to lose Shane van Gisbergen”, but was excited for the opportunity the New Zealand had landed.
“He is one of the greatest touring car drivers on the globe so to be over there and showcasing his skills on that platform, I think is absolutely incredible,” Howard said.
“Great drivers, they have opportunities and when they get them, they should take them.
“We don’t want to lose Shane van Gisbergen, he is an incredible driver and an incredible champion. But obviously you support someone of his calibre to do their best in other categories as well.”
Van Gisbergen will join the powerful Trackhouse Racing team which fields the No. 99 and the No. 1 Chevrolets with drivers Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“I can honestly say I have dreamt about an opportunity in NASCAR, but really never thought it would become a reality,” said van Gisbergen, who sits third in the Supercars championship.
“I can’t wait to get to the States to meet everyone and prepare for Chicago. It’s NASCAR’s first time on the streets of Chicago so in some ways everyone will be a rookie like me, but I don’t underestimate that it’s going to be a huge challenge.”
SVG REVEALS HOW NASCAR DREAM BECAME REALITY
Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has announced a shock move to contest a NASCAR street race in Chicago, but is not departing the Australian series this year.
Van Gisbergen has revealed plans to race the No. 91 Chevrolet at the inaugural Chicago street race on July 2, heading to the US immediately after the Darwin race on June 18 before returning to resume the Supercars season at Townsville on July 7.
The Red Bull Supercars racer will attend the Nashville Superspeedway event on June 25 to familiarise himself with NASCAR before jumping behind the wheel on the street circuit.
“I can honestly say I have dreamt about an opportunity in NASCAR, but really never thought it would become a reality,” said van Gisbergen.
I can’t wait to get to the States to meet everyone and prepare for Chicago. It’s NASCAR’s first time on the streets of Chicago so in some ways everyone will be a rookie like me, but I don’t underestimate that it’s going to be a huge challenge.”
Van Gisbergen is joining the powerful Trackhouse Racing team which fields the
No. 99 and the No. 1 Chevrolets with drivers Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Trackhouse Owner Justin Marks welcomed the highly credentialed Aussie racer to his team for the one-off race.
“I’ll concede the American racing fan might not be as familiar with Shane as they are with Kimi but if you talk with anyone in Australia, New Zealand and that part of the world they will tell you he is one of the most talented drivers on the planet,” Marks said.
“He’s used to street racing in heavy cars and I think everyone will be very impressed with his performance.”
Originally published as Scott McLaughlin says Shane van Gisbergen could race for whoever he wanted in the US
Door emphatically slammed on Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo has been dealt a crushing F1 blow less than 24 hours after the rumour mill erupted about a possible move.
Huge piece to F1’s driver puzzle finally falls into place
Williams boss James Vowles said on Monday that he had his “heart set” on signing Carlos Sainz.