Shane van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen was born on May 9, 1989, in New Zealand and grew up in an environment where motorsport was present from the start. Between 1998 and 2004, he gained his first experience in motocross, quarter midgets, and karting before moving to the Formula First series. In the 2004/05 season, he finished third and was also named Best Rookie after previously receiving a Speedsport scholarship (‘Star of Tomorrow’).

His talent was quickly confirmed: in 2005/06, he won the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship and claimed the Rookie title again, before finishing as vice-champion in the Toyota Racing Series 2006/07. Rather than taking the European route through Formula 3 and Formula 2, van Gisbergen opted for the Australian Supercars scene, where he became a defining driver for Triple Eight Race Engineering (Red Bull Racing Australia). In parallel, he also made a name for himself in GT3 racing, including winning the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour in a McLaren 650S GT3. In 2023, he made the leap to North America and won the Grant Park 220 in Chicago on his NASCAR Cup Series debut for Trackhouse Racing, becoming only the seventh driver in series history and the first since 1963.

Among the greatest achievements of his career are three Supercars Championship titles in 2016, 2021, and 2022. With a total of 80 race wins, he ranks fourth on the series’ all-time list. He also triumphed three times at the legendary Bathurst 1000, in 2020 and 2022 alongside Garth Tander, and in 2023 with Richie Stanaway. In the GT category, he crowned himself 2016 champion of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, now known as GT World Challenge Europe. His historic NASCAR debut victory in 2023 in Chicago and his title as NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year 2025 underscore how seamlessly his transition to North America succeeded; as the most successful non-American driver in Cup Series history, he has long since established himself there.

In the 2026 season, Shane van Gisbergen continues as a full-time driver for Trackhouse Racing and pilots the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with the number 97. After his rookie year, which he completed as the series’ most successful newcomer, the focus now turns to consolidating his position at the front of the field, particularly on road and road course races, where he has already proven himself to be one of the strongest drivers in the Cup field.