Shane
van Gisbergen
New Zealand
·
Supercars
Date of birth | May 9, 1989 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Auckland, New Zealand |
Age | 36 |
Nationality | New Zealand |
Disciplines | NASCAR |
Shane van Gisbergen was born to race. From pestering his father Robert to buy him a Suzuki ATV at the tender age of just five, to signing (at a mere 17 years of age) a contract to race V8 Supercars for top Ford team Stone Brothers Racing, the constant in his life has been competition.
Raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Shane spent his early years racing ATVs on natural terrain motocross tracks and a Quarter Midget on speedway ovals. Then followed a brief but successful dalliance with karts and then a year in the Formula First class courtesy of New Zealand's SpeedSport magazine scholarship programme saw his focus turn to tarmac.
Ever since he has been on a fast track to major league Australasian success, winning the New Zealand Formula Ford championship in 2006 and finishing a close second to team-mate Daniel Gaunt in the Toyota Racing Series in 2007. Later the same year he signed a long-term driver contract with Stone Brothers Racing, making the V8 Supercar championship debut he has always dreamed about at the Oran Park round.
Shane raced for Stone Brothers for five seasons until 2012, securing a best of fourth overall in the championship in 2011, before moving to the successful Triple Eight Race Engineering team, alongside two of the most successful drivers in series history – Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes in 2016. He was victorious in eight races in that 2016 season on the way to clinching the championship with a race to spare.
He narrowly missed out on another title in 2018 and 2019, having to settle for second place overall both times. During the 2020 season he claimed four victories as he finished third overall, but more than made up for that disappointment with his first victory at Australia's Bathurst 1000.
The New Zealand driver then produced a remarkable season in 2021 to claim his second V8 Supercars Championship title, winning 14 of 30 completed races and finishing a staggering 211 points ahead of second-placed Jamie Whincup.
The 2022 season saw Shane dominate his rivals as he secured more than 20 victories on the way to winning the V8 Supercars Championship for the third time. The following year he once again challenged for the title but narrowly missed out as he finished second in the overall standings.
This would prove to be Shane's final season racing in the V8 Supercars Championship as for the 2024 campaign he will compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing.
Thee three-time Australian Supercars champion has made a notable impact in NASCAR since his debut in 2023. In his inaugural Cup Series race at the Chicago Street Course, he secured a historic victory, becoming the first driver in the modern era to win in their Cup Series debut. In 2024, van Gisbergen competed full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing, achieving multiple wins, including back-to-back victories at Portland and Sonoma, and a return triumph in Chicago.
Additionally, he participated in select Cup Series events, notably finishing second at Watkins Glen. In 2025, van Gisbergen transitioned to a full-time Cup Series role with Trackhouse Racing, driving the No. 88 Chevrolet. Despite a challenging start, including a 33rd-place finish at the Daytona 500, he showcased his road course expertise with a sixth-place finish at the Circuit of the Americas.
As he continues to adapt to the diverse demands of NASCAR, van Gisbergen remains a formidable competitor, particularly on road and street circuits