Shane van Gisbergen is set to make his NASCAR oval debut with Niece Motorsports

Chicago Street race winner Shane van Gisbergen will drive the No.41 Truck for Niece Motorsports on August 11th at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Shane van Gisbergen is set to make his NASCAR oval debut with Niece Motorsports

Shane van Gisbergen (Credits: Fox Sports)

Australian Supercars icon Shane van Gisbergen cannot get enough of NASCAR, as he is back for more. The 34-year-old won NASCAR’s inaugural Chicago Street Race in his Cup debut and made history.  Ever since his win, he has been the talk of the town. The motorsports community even speculated his switch to NASCAR for the 2024 season. However, they will have to settle for his Truck debut for now. 

Shane Van Gisbergen will now make his oval debut in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports. He will pilot the No.41 Niece Motorsports Truck on August 11th at Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP). The Kiwi will also line up for his second Cup start on August 13th with Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 program. It is going to be a busy weekend for the Chicago winner. 

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Shane van Gisbergen spoke to the media about his upcoming races. He stated, “The weekend will certainly be a challenge. I’ve seen the Trucks race on television and know it’s very competitive and that I’ll have a lot to learn on a short track at IRP.” It is a 0.686-mile asphalt track, and van Gisbergen deems it challenging. Though he is used to doing double-headers in Supercars, it will be different this time. 

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Shane van Gisbergen says he is thrilled to climb in a truck

Shane van Gisbergen (Credits: Supercars)
Shane van Gisbergen (Credits: Supercars)

Van Gisbergen added, “I’m honored to join Niece Motorsports and thrilled at getting a chance to climb in a truck.” Cody Efaw, the General manager of Niece Motorsports, revealed that the team is excited and honored to have van Gisbergen driving for them. He said, “Shane is a legend in Australia and New Zealand, but what he did in Chicago has everyone in America talking about his talent.” 

Cody Efaw and the Niece Motorsports team vowed to help van Gisbergen experience oval racing for the first time. They are also eager to learn a lot from him. Shane van Gisbergen is one of the six non-American-born drivers to win a Cup race.

He is also the first driver since IndyCar star Johnny Rutherford to win on debut. The three-time Supercars champion is also the first New Zealander to win a race in NASCAR’s most prestigious series. All this contributed to the hype, and there is no doubt all eyes will be on this Supercars star during the Indy weekend. 

Shane van Gisbergen has a hectic weekend ahead of him. He will be spotted on track all three days. He will have his first Truck practice, qualifying session, and race on Friday. On Saturday, he will have Cup practice and qualifying. Finally, on Sunday, he will make his second Cup start of his NASCAR career. 

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