Shane van Gisbergen claims he ‘belongs in NASCAR’ despite crashing out on Daytona Xfinity debut

The three-time Supercar champion is aiming to land a full-time seat by 2025.

Shane van Gisbergen claims he ‘belongs in NASCAR’ despite crashing out on Daytona Xfinity debut

Shane van Gisbergen and Trackhouse Racing owner, Justin Marks (Credits: Supercars)

Three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Daytona on Monday. Fortune was not on the side of the Kiwi racer as he was involved in multiple incidents and late race crashes. But the 34-year-old reckons he belongs in the premier stock car racing regardless of his tough last venture.

The Kiwi hit the ground running in NASCAR last year and caught the eye of teams after his milestone win with Project91 on his Cup debut in the Chicago Street Race. Gisbergen ended his Supercar series after competing in it for 15 years at the end of the 2024 season. SVG admitted that he enjoyed his maiden Xfinity run and feels he belongs there.

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You know, I had fun. I feel like I belong here. I feel like I’ve definitely done the right thing for my career and racing enjoyment
Shane van Gisbergen said, as reported by motorsport.com

The Kiwi driver is on the hunt to prove his worth in the feeder series. He reckons that he belongs in the NASCAR world and is deserving of a seat. On the other hand, Gisbergen had a horrendous race but was pale in comparison to his ARCA season opener where he finished last. Gisbergen is optimistic and is ready for his next race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

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Shane van Gisbergen apologized to Jeb Burton after the race

The Kaulig Racing driver is currently 13th in the standings in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standing after the chaotic first race week. One of the two major incidents on the day was a clash with Jeb Burton during the late end of the race and he apologized to him after the race.

Shane van Gisbergen (Credits: NASCAR)
Shane van Gisbergen (Credits: NASCAR)
That was another wild race! Got some good momentum going, really enjoyed the flow of it all and learnt a lot. Got involved in other peoples messes but made my own mistake at the end, misjudged the side draft and spun out the 27 trying to pull into line. Sorry to him[Jeb Burton]!
Shane van Gisbergen wrote on his X handle

The Supercar champion is ready to take on his next race at Atlanta and has learned from his mistakes. He is determined to have a strong season that could convince his Trackhouse Racing to give him a Cup seat in the 2025 season.

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