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He's conquered Supercars. Cracked America. And now, Shane van Gisbergen is carving out something far bigger – a legacy in NASCAR.
In just his first full-time season, SVG has already delivered a historic rookie run with three road course victories. He's also locked in a playoff spot and a place among NASCAR's rising stars.
But he's not done yet.
"I really enjoy it and I can see myself staying here for a few more years," van Gisbergen told 1News. "I'll probably finish my career here, at least the full-time thing. I want to stay here for a long time."
From fans chanting his name in Chicago to tossing rugby balls trackside, van Gisbergen is fast becoming one of the most recognisable faces in the NASCAR paddock, adding flair and a bit of Kiwi cheek to an all American scene.
His first win this season in Mexico came with help from four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen.
"We just got to know each other through sim racing. And yeah, just talk every now and then, meet up whenever we're in the same place," van Gisbergen said. "I knew he'd been to Mexico before and raced in the rain. So, when it started raining on Sunday, I just asked him 'what's the basics around here?' The cars are obviously very different he sort of told me where the grip would be, what to try and look for. And yeah, it really helped."
While SVG's been untouchable on road circuits, NASCAR's famed ovals remain the great challenge.
"It's just so different to what I've grown up with and the lack of practice really hurts me," he said. "The other rookies are struggling with that too. The cars are difficult. You only get 20 minutes at each new track and then you go race. It's very, very difficult but the second half of the season, hopefully we show improvement when we go to tracks we've already been to."
Van Gisbergen has four more rounds of racing ovals and one more street race before the playoffs begin. The opening knockout stage has all three races held on oval tracks.
"Mastering an oval would mean everything. That's why I’m here," he said.
"It's been a refreshing challenge; I really enjoy the grind. It's going to take time and a bit of patience from my part. You can't rush it, you know? I feel like we're getting better and better, but we're still a long way off winning a race. Like we're not silly about that. So, it's just going to take time."
