(Photo: Jake Barton | The Podium Finish)
BROWNSBURG, Ind. — Friday evening’s TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park may have ended with ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski winning, but plenty of eyes were focused on New Zealand’s Shane Van Gisbergen.
The 34-year-old Supercars Multi-Championship winner brought plenty of sparks in July when he not only made his Cup Series debut in the No. 91 for Trackhouse Racing in the Chicago Street Course race but pulled what many thought was impossible by winning the esteemed race itself. It helped shed light on the sport in general, but also inspired Van Gisbergen to give it another shot, albeit in a Craftsman Truck Series race under Niece Motorsports.
The Chevy-aligned team was a natural pick, with Trackhouse’s own Ross Chastain originally racing for the team during his ‘climb up the ladder’ to the Cup Series.
Van Gisbergen “had no idea” where he would place during the event he confessed in a media conference that was held earlier in the week.
“I’m here to learn and to have fun,” Van Gisbergen replied to the media while sporting a confident smile.
Friday’s practice session had Van Gisbergen placing 32nd, causing nerves to be high for qualifying. He placed 28th, a few spots better than before, but plenty of eyes were glued onto the No. 41 Worldwide Express Chevy as the green flag waved.
“I watched the race from last year and there’s some guys that look like they’re really on it,” Van Gisbergen explained.
The Kiwi said he spent plenty of time diving into last year’s race footage to get a better understanding of not only the track itself but also the racing competition he would be going against.
As the laps ticked off, the Supercars Veteran soaked up the sights and sounds, climbing up the leaderboard while continuing to adapt to the truck and track itself. Aggressive racing was the trend, with the TSport 200 serving as the first race of the Playoffs.
At one point, he had received the free pass and responded over the radio, “That’s a good thing, right?”
With a positive attitude and hard work, Van Gisbergen finished the race in 19th. There was a huge glowing smile on his face and his disposition overall was positive.
“I’m living the dream and it’s really cool.” He expressed this during his post-race interview.
Van Gisbergen’s focus after Friday’s race will be on the Cup Series race Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Course in the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard. He will make his second start in the No. 91 Chevy for Trackhouse under Project 91 at the legendary track. He’ll start eighth.
Van Gisbergen said that he hopes to make the switch to NASCAR full-time in 2024. According to recent reports, Van Gisbergen is finalizing a deal with Trackhouse.
