Shane Van Gisbergen is currently making waves in NASCAR, but his rise has been anything but straightforward. From facing significant legal challenges in Australia to becoming a dominant force on American road courses, Van Gisbergen’s journey reveals the resilience behind his success. The New Zealand driver has now shared details about a difficult legal dispute that almost forced him to quit racing.
Impact of the Legal Dispute on Van Gisbergen’s Career Path
Back in 2012, Van Gisbergen was competing with Stone Brothers Racing in the Australian V8 Supercars Championship. However, the team’s acquisition and transformation into Erebus Motorsport led to major changes, notably switching from Ford to Mercedes engines. Van Gisbergen was unhappy with this abrupt shift and promptly left the team.
The departure sparked a legal conflict between Van Gisbergen and Stone Brothers Racing when he signed with Tekno Autosports in 2013. This dispute grew intense and publicly contentious but was resolved outside the courtroom. During this challenging period, Van Gisbergen seriously contemplated stepping away from racing.
In 2012, at the end of that year, I was out of racing. I wanted to stop, and I sort of did stop,
he told The Athletic.
And then Dad really convinced me to keep going, and we changed teams. It was a big legal s*** fight, and I ended up joining another team. It was really bad publicly, but I was able to just knuckle down and focus on my driving.
—Shane Van Gisbergen, Racing Driver
And then I went out and won the first race with a new team. So, it was really cool to just go out there and push through that. It was messy, but great,
he added. —Shane Van Gisbergen, Racing Driver
From Legal Struggles to Championship Triumphs
In the 2013 season opener in Adelaide, Van Gisbergen claimed victory with his new team, marking a fresh start. Over the next several years, he secured three Supercars championships and triumphed three times at the prestigious Bathurst 1000 in Australia. These achievements paved the way for his transition to NASCAR in the United States.
Since joining Trackhouse Racing, Van Gisbergen has quickly distinguished himself as the premier road course competitor in the NASCAR Cup Series. His shocking debut win in downtown Chicago in 2023 stunned the racing community, and he followed up by sweeping both the Xfinity and Cup Series races at the same event in the following season. This remarkable feat made him the most successful driver born outside the US in Cup Series history.
Reflecting on his past frustrations, Van Gisbergen acknowledged his reluctance to speak out during the controversial manufacturer change.
They were changing manufacturers, from Ford to Mercedes, doing it a completely different way that you knew wasn’t going to work, which I was right, they ran terrible. And I just was like, ‘I’d rather not race than drive for this sort of thing,’
he explained.
He also revealed that his natural shyness allowed the team to dictate the narrative publicly, falsely suggesting he was suffering from depression and betraying the organization by leaving. Despite this, Van Gisbergen used these adversities as fuel for his determination.
Looking Ahead: Momentum on American Road Courses
After overcoming a near-career-ending legal battle and personal struggles, Van Gisbergen has emerged stronger. His consecutive wins in Chicago underscored his status as a road course expert, earning him the nickname “Street Sweeper.” Now, he sets his sights on further success in upcoming events like the Sonoma road course race, aiming to build on his growing legacy in NASCAR.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why did Shane van Gisbergen quit?
A. Shane van Gisbergen believes that leaving Supercars was the “right decision” to chase a career in NASCAR. This year, he is beginning his first full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing, after spending 15 years racing in Supercars.
Q. How much did Shane van Gisbergen win in NASCAR?
A. Stewart-Haas Racing decided to shut down after 16 years mostly due to difficulties in getting sponsors for their four-car team. Stewart is leaving NASCAR during a period of tension between the organization and its racing teams about the sport’s future.