New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen heads back to the Nevada desert this weekend for his fourth start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the NASCAR Cup Series season continues to gather momentum.
The Kiwi driver will once again pilot the No. 97 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, arriving at Las Vegas sitting in a career-best fifth position in the championship standings.
After a promising opening stretch of the season, van Gisbergen is only 12 points away from fourth place and holds a three-point advantage over the driver in sixth, highlighting the strong form he and the team have shown across the opening races.
Las Vegas has already delivered mixed fortunes for van Gisbergen in previous visits. During last October’s race at the one-mile oval, he started from 13th on the grid and looked set to challenge for a top-10 finish before being caught up in a multi-car accident with just 22 laps remaining.
Despite that setback, the circuit has also provided encouraging signs of progress. In another appearance at the desert venue, van Gisbergen qualified 18th for the 312-mile race and overcame two spins during the event to fight his way back through the field. The determined recovery saw him cross the line in 11th place, marking his best result at the track in the Cup Series to date.
Adding extra attention to this weekend’s event will be a special paint scheme on the No. 97 Chevrolet. Trackhouse Racing’s ongoing partnership with SuperFile will be celebrated with a striking livery designed by internationally recognised artist Mr. Brainwash. The colourful design aims to reflect the creativity, energy and innovation associated with both brands and will make its debut under the bright lights of Las Vegas.
The No. 97 itself carries deep personal significance for van Gisbergen. His father, Robert van Gisbergen, raced with the same number during his own career, and Shane first introduced it to international audiences in the 2013 season of the Supercars Championship. Since then, the number has become synonymous with his success, including 80 race wins, three championships, 48 pole positions and 152 podium finishes.
More recently, the number accompanied him during his rookie campaign in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024, where he claimed three race victories and three pole positions.
Van Gisbergen’s remarkable rise from New Zealand circuits to NASCAR’s top tier is also the subject of a new documentary titled Runaway Kiwi. Produced through a collaboration between SafetyCulture, NASCAR and Trackhouse Racing, the film follows his journey from growing up in Manukau to achieving five consecutive road-course wins during his NASCAR rookie season.
The documentary explores not only his racing achievements but also the preparation, teamwork and discipline required to compete at the highest level. Runaway Kiwi is available to watch on the official NASCAR YouTube channel and The NASCAR Channel.
Reflecting on his strong start to the season, van Gisbergen said it was encouraging to be running near the front of the championship after racing on a variety of circuits early in the year.
“At this time last season, we were at a completely different end of the garage, so the guys enjoy it much more being early in tech,” he said.
“It would be amazing to stay up here, but there is a long way to go. We really need to keep having good runs and results and be consistent with scoring points. It’s certainly very encouraging and a cool spot to be in.”
The Kiwi also believes his performances on ovals continue to improve as he gains experience.
“I think so. It’s been an awesome progression, and I feel like we are getting better and learning a lot,” van Gisbergen explained.
“It’s good going through two races of data from the same track now and coming up with a trend and set-up we need — that’s been awesome. Hopefully, we keep showing that progress.”
While he has received guidance from former NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick in recent seasons, van Gisbergen says much of the development now comes from within his own team.
“It was Kevin Harvick for the last couple of years, which has been awesome,” he said.
“But now it’s really just working within my own team. Josh Williams, my spotter, is an amazing coach, and my crew chief, Stephen (Doran), and I have been working hard. They come up with a list of things to work on or improve every week. It’s been really cool.”
With confidence building and momentum on his side, van Gisbergen will be hoping Las Vegas provides another opportunity to continue his impressive start to the Cup Series campaign.
Header Image: Trackhouse Racing
