Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) has ‘left the room’ and his departure will undoubtedly send ripples down the Australian Supercars grid. His impending move to compete full-time in NASCAR in the USA may turn out to be a profound shakeup for the future of Supercars as young drivers now eye a future in the USA. Many must be thinking about the opportunities abroad for experienced Supercar drivers, following in the footsteps of SVG and former Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin to a greater offshore future. At last, there may be life after Supercars.
Having won the 2005/06 NZ Formula Ford Championship and then finishing runner-up to Daniel Gaunt in the 2006/07 Toyota Racing Series, we all thought that this van Gisbergen talent would go on to greater things in the single seater category. Not so! SVG was always intent on heading to Supercars in Australia and the rest, so far, is history.
At the time it appeared to be a great waste with so many opportunities available overseas. Maybe not for SVG and that is one of his strengths. He has never appeared to be focused on trophies and titles, rather he seems happy racing anything with four wheels, particularly Supercars.
To me, Supercars has and is a dead end for any young and emerging talent to head to. There has been a ‘no-exit’ sign for most drivers once they arrive. In saying that, a lot of the talent in the 2000s, had already tried their best overseas in the Northern Hemisphere and coming home to a top series presented some very good reasons for doing so, including the Australian lifestyle.
I am pleased for Shane van Gisbergen and the opportunities that are opening up within NASCARS. His win at the inaugural Chicago street race less than a month ago has got heads turning and obviously cheque books opening. He’s gone, whether it is in 2024 or 2025. There will be no stopping him.
The dilemma for Supercars is the talent, or lack of, that SVG will leave behind. We saw this when Scott McLaughlin left at the end of 2020. He was head and shoulders above the rest of the grid including van Gisbergen, who appeared to step up and fill McLaughlin’s void. With him gone, the Supercars talent pool will take a dive. Add to this title contender Brodie Kostecki joining the NASCAR Cup field this weekend in Indianapolis with Richard Childress Racing and we have a ‘slight’ exodus.
This may be a good thing. If Supercars has been a bit of a dead-end for drivers, opportunities for racing in the US may attract talent to the category as a means of gaining experience. There is an opportunity here for the category and it may see drivers lift their game with an eye on the future. Hence, the ‘No-Exit’ sign could come down!
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