Shane van Gisbergen will compete in ARCA Daytona race for Xfinity Series approval
Well, make it 41 races now for Shane van Gisbergen and his 2024 NASCAR schedule. He will compete in the ARCA Daytona season opener. SVG is coming to America and he has a lot of business to take care of on and off the racetrack.
NASCAR is making Shane van Gisbergen enter the ARCA Menards Series race to get approval for the Xfinity Series. I know, SVG has made starts in the Cup Series at Chicago and the Indy Road Course. He even had an oval start in the Truck Series at IRP.
However, superspeedways are far more intense, fast, and dangerous. Having him race the ARCA event is good and should help him prepare for his Xfinity Series start.
Today on SiriusXM NASCAR, Trackhouse Racing president Ty Norris confirmed the news, via ARCAracing.com.
“We’re in the process of getting [van Gisbergen] in the ARCA race for Daytona,” Norris said. “There’s a [pre-race practice] in January and the Xfinity Series has a pretty lengthy practice, so there’s a lot of opportunities to be observed. That’ll lead to an approval for Daytona and once he’s approved for Daytona, we’ll be able to go to any track on the circuit.”
A three-time Bathurst 1000 winner, three-time Supercars champ, as well as starts in the 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans – SVG has a resume unlike any other driver in the ARCA Menards Series.
Folks, we could see SVG go into this race and win. Truthfully, if he doesn’t finish in the top-3 it would be a shocking result.
Shane van Gisbergen has his full season in the Xfinity Series coming up. He will also race in at least seven Cup Series events ranging from the road courses to superspeedways and more.
Shane van Gisbergen has his 2024 plans
Once SVG gets his Xfinity Series approval, then it is all about racing. The diversity of his schedule, the fact he’ll compete for an Xfinity Series championship – that’s going to be a treat for fans here and in Australia and New Zealand back home where SVG is from.
Perhaps no other international driver in the modern era is more equipped to take on the task SVG is preparing to take. Marcus Ambrose was good, won races, and his oval racing really came around after a while. However, this feels different. A more modern, well-rounded, and better-prepared van Gisbergen feels like a real danger to the American drivers.
Now, what is even more exciting is this – SVG versus AJ Allmendinger on road courses. The entire Xfinity season on the road will be a battle between those two. Let’s not forget Sam Mayer, either, who had not one, not two, but three wins on road courses in 2023.
Having Shane van Gisbergen in NASCAR is only good for the sport. It shows that other drivers around the world are interested in NASCAR. In a 2023 season that saw Travis Pastrana, Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, Kamui Kobayashi, and others make starts in the Cup Series – there is positive momentum there.
What are your expectations for SVG when he hits the track in 2024?