Everything to Know About NASCAR Driver Shane van Gisbergen
After dominating Chicago, it’s time to meet the Kiwi called SVG.
Coming off a hot Fourth of July weekend, the talk of the Windy City didn’t revolve around the Cubs miraculously topping their division, expectations for Bears QB Caleb Williams, or even when the Pope will bless the White Sox again (they could certainly use a little help). In fact, on America’s birthday, the talk of the town wasn’t even American – it was all about Shane van Gisbergen.
Now in his third year of NASCAR Cup Series competition, the import from New Zealand made history over the weekend, becoming only the second driver to win both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series races from the pole position. The last to accomplish such a feat was Cup champion and veteran wheelman Kyle Busch. Furthermore, SVG’s second win on Chicago’s street course meant a return to Victory Lane where it all started for him, as he won the league’s debut event of the Grant Park 165 in 2023. And considering this latest triumph officially crowns him the most-winning driver in NASCAR Cup Series not born in the United States, it’s high time to meet the speedster from Down Under.
Who is Shane van Gisbergen?
Born May 9, 1989, in Auckland, New Zealand, Shane van Gisbergen’s first introductions to speed happened between 1998 and 2004 in the form of Motocross, Quarter Midget racing, and kart competitions. While that period was crucial to his foundation as a driver, SVG’s first major success came when he won the Rookie of the Year award after finishing third in the 2004-2005 New Zealand Formula First Championship. He earned additional ROY honors the following year after winning the New Zealand Ford Championship and a runner-up finish in the 2006/2007 Toyota Racing Series.
As good as the flashes of success showed he could be, it wasn’t until Van Gisbergen entered V8 Supercars that he shined, and even then, he still wasn’t quite a household name. In the five years he spent with Stone Brothers Racing (2007-2012), his highest finish in the championship was fourth. He moved to Tekno Autosports in 2013, topping his previous outings with a second-place finish. Once SVG moved to the Triple Eight Race Engineering team, he and Alexandre Prémat won the coveted Enduro Cup in 2016, followed by the Castrol Gold Coast 600 that same year.
With his stock soaring, van Gisbergen simultaneously went on to find success in the 2014 Hankook Super Series Championship, winning seven out of nine races before later cruising to victory during the 2021 new Zealand Grand Prix. Clearly coming into his own, he claimed the series’ most famous race, the Bathurst 1000, on three different occasions (2020, 2022, and 2023). SVG finished his V8 Supercars Championship career with an impressive 80 wins over 508 races, including winning the league’s driver title in 2016, 2021, and 2022. Additionally, in GT Racing, he piloted a McLaren 650S GT3 at the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour and earned the British automaker its first team win at the event.
Shane van Gisbergen's Xfinity and Cup Series history
Ever since entering the NASCAR’s top flight in 2023, winning Chicago’s inaugural Street Course for Trackhouse Racing, van Gisbergen has been steadily improving. His follow-up Cup Series race of the season occurred on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, yielding him his second Top 10 finish that year. In 2024 under the Kaulig Racing banner, he scored back-to-back Xfinity Series victories with stellar performances at Portland and Sonoma, before cruising to his third win that year with a triumphant showing at Chicago.
He nearly captured the checkered flag during the 2024 Watkins Glen race, but SVG couldn’t hold Chris Buescher back on the final lap of the race and, ultimately, the RFK Racing wheelman stole the win. He did manage to bounce back at the Charlotte Roval, cruising to his first career Cup Series pole. The start of van Gisbergen’s 2025 Cup campaign got off to a rocky, 33rd-place finish at the Daytona 500, but he punched his playoff ticket with his win at the historic race in Mexico City, only to later outdo himself during Sunday’s Grant Park 165 in Chicago.
If it sounds like Van Gisbergen’s a force to be reckoned with on street, that’s because he is. See, SVG’s not just winning on road courses, he’s doing it in epic fashion. He dusted the competition in Mexico, winning by a whopping 16.567 seconds. On road courses in the Cup Series alone, he’s scored one win, a pair of Top 5 finishes, and five Top 10 finishes, but he’s even better in the Xfinity Series where he’s notched two wins and four Top 5 finishes in five starts.
What kind of car does Shane van Gisbergen drive?
Competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, van Gisbergen drives the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing alongside the Watermelon Man, Ross Chastain. When SVG participates part-time in Xfinity Series races, he pilots the No. 9 Chevrolet SS for JR Motorsports.
While many are trying to discover the secret to his sauce on road courses, Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks told NASCAR things just come “naturally” to van Gisbergen.
“For me, in my experience driving race cars for 20 years, it’s his racing IQ,” revealed Marks, who knows a thing or two about road racing himself. “It’s how strategic he can think while he’s on the limit of the race car.”
SVG’s crew chief Stephen Doran has his own thoughts on what makes the New Zealander so unstoppable in road races.
“You watch him, and he’s like a machine out there,” noted Doran. “He makes no mistakes, and he just waits until somebody misses an apex in front of him, and he pounces on them. He just drives through the field.”
You can catch Shane van Gisbergen competing next in the NASCAR Cup Series with the Toyota / Save Mart 350 in Sonoma, California. The event also marks the third round of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, a 32-driver, single-elimination tournament that occurs over five races and boasts at $1 million prize for the winner.
The NASCAR Cup Series makes it way to USA Network on August 3 with the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol. Coverage then shifts to NBC on August 23 for the Coke Zero Sugar 400. The remainder of the post-season will air on USA Network except for the final two playoff races and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in Phoenix, Arizona, which will air on NBC. To find out more, please check local listings and the Cup Series schedule.
