Shane van Gisbergen built his name as one of the top racers in Australia’s V8 Supercars Championship. With three titles and several Bathurst 1000 wins, he had already become a major figure in the sport. NASCAR, though, was never part of his plan. He only watched it during the Marcos Ambrose era and then drifted away.
“I followed NASCAR a bit when [Aussie Cup driver] Marcos Ambrose was racing, but when he stopped, I didn’t really pay much attention again until Trackhouse co-owner Justin Marks launched Project 91 in 2022,” SVG said.
He once considered Formula 1, but the path was tough, and he joked about his size holding him back. “My weight was my enemy in open-wheel racing. Most drivers look like they should be 14 years old.”
So he focused on touring cars, tried American racing through IMSA, and even a call from Roger Penske couldn’t spark a NASCAR dream. Everything changed when Project 91 opened the door.
How Project 91 Brought SVG Into NASCAR
Trackhouse Racing launched Project 91 in 2022 as a way to bring world-class drivers into select NASCAR events. Justin Marks invited names like Kimi Räikkönen and Kamui Kobayashi to try the series, showing that NASCAR could welcome global talent.
SVG admired Räikkönen’s run but didn’t expect him would be part of it. That changed when he reached out to former Cup driver Boris Said. “I put out feelers through former NASCAR Cup driver Boris Said,” he said. “Boris knew Justin and sort of started the conversation.”
Marks responded with an idea perfectly suited for SVG. “There’s a new race happening in 2023 on a street track that I think you’d be perfect for,” Marks told him. He asked for a few months to line up partners, and once sponsors came together, the deal was set. SVG agreed to run the first-ever Chicago street race in the Cup Series.
The Chicago Debut That Changed Everything
The 2023 Grant Park 220 suited SVG’s background. The 2.2-mile layout, full of tight corners and bumps, felt similar to the street tracks he knew well in Australia. It also lined up with a rare free weekend in his busy schedule. Backed by Enhance Health, Quad Lock, and WeatherTech, he arrived in the U.S. with no Cup starts and only one practice session.
Starting third, SVG led 9 of 100 laps and handled heavy rain during a restart. In the closing laps, he held off Justin Haley and Chase Elliott to win. It was the first Cup victory in 60 years by a driver in his debut race. “It was a different beast,” Shane van Gisbergen said of the Next Gen car, but he adapted quickly and proved he could race with the best.
SVG’s Rise in NASCAR Since 2023
After that breakthrough, Shane van Gisbergen moved from a special entry to a full NASCAR career. By November 2025, he had six NASCAR wins. He grew beyond his street-course skill, adding strong oval performances, including two top-10 starts this year and a top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway.
For 2025, he became the full-time driver of Trackhouse’s No. 88 Chevrolet, joining Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez. He won the Rookie of the Year award, the first international driver to win that award since Juan Pablo Montoya.
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