Shane van Gisbergen has lauded the continued support of New Zealand and Australian fans following his move to the United States in an in-depth interview on the Apex Hunters United podcast.
The Xfinity Series driver spoke with hosts Scott Pye and Elliott Barbour for over an hour in the latest edition of the podcast, detailing his time in Supercars, experiences in the United States, SADDA, and much more.
Van Gisbergen recognised a Kiwi presence at races across the United States and described the support, both at the track and from back home, as humbling.
“The amount of Kiwis here has really been surprising,” he said. “I raced at New Hampshire, and there was someone with a Kiwi flag there shaking it at me across the other side of the track, which was pretty cool.
“We’ve been to a lot of places, meeting Kiwi fans. The West Coast races get a few, too, and they’re a lot easier to get to. Even the Australian people over. It’s been surprising but humbling how many people from Australia and New Zealand have followed it.
“Every week, there are stories over there, whether on the New Zealand websites or the Australian ones. It’s really cool to see the interest of people following and supporting. It’s been awesome to have that support.
“Even over here, people, I think, like you a little bit because you’re different, and I’ve been able to be myself here. I’m not as guarded.
“Every time I answered questions in Australia, it felt like they were trying to get something out of me just to get that negative headline, and it doesn’t happen here.”
Barbour went on to discuss the proportion of motorsport fans in Australia and New Zealand who have begun following NASCAR since van Gisbergen’s move to the United States.
“It’s been pretty awesome in that regard, hearing about people getting up early on a Sunday morning for Xfinity or Monday for the Cup stuff,” van Gisbergen replied.
“Having that exposure here, and I guess being different, whether I’m braking with a different foot, the way I talk, or kicking a rugby ball into the crowd, it’s something different. That was an awesome idea by the Trackhouse guys.
“When Trackhouse wins, every driver has their own individual celebrations. That’s part of the Trackhouse mantra. It’s pretty cool. They allow you to be yourself, and NASCAR pushed it as well.”
The full interview with van Gisbergen, who was a co-founder of Apex Hunters Untied, can be found on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, Amazon Music and iHeartRadio.
Header Image: Kaulig Racing
