Shane van Gisbergen could move to NASCAR after Aussie deal concludes in 2024, confirms T8's managing director

After scoring a monumental win in his NASCAR debut, Kiwi superstar Shane van Gisbergen has expressed interest in racing full-time in America's most prestigious stock car racing series.

Van Gisbergen is currently contracted by the Triple Eight team in the Supercars Championship until the end of 2024. However, T8's managing director, Jamie Whincup, admitted that Van Gisbergen's contract won't be an obstacle if a NASCAR offer comes his way.

"He’s only contractually bound to us for next year. But me sitting here right now, of course I’m trying to run the business as well as I possibly can, and I need the best drivers – but if any driver, engineer, employee came to me and said, ‘hey, my dream is to go to the other side of the world and do something else’ then I’m not going to stand in their way, am I?" Whincup said to Fox Sports.

Shane van Gisbergen in the #91 Chevrolet

The New Zealander recently made waves across the motorsport world, winning the Chicago Street Race in his NASCAR debut.

This recent success, coupled with Van Gisbergen's dissatisfaction with the newly introduced Gen3 cars in the Aussie series, sparked rumors of a move to America.

Whincup added that the team will be discussing the contract situation over the next month and working out what's best for the reigning Supercars champion.

"But no doubt we’re going to have some discussions the next month or so and work out what he wants to do. He has certainly got my praise, whatever he wants to do, and we’re going to support him all the way." he added.

In the past, Marcus Ambrose left the Supercars series and relocated to America in 2006, building an impressive career on the other side of the world.

Van Gisbergen's past rival, Scott McLaughlin, also relocated to the United States but pursued a career in open-wheel racing, becoming an IndyCar ace.

Inspired by these moves, Shane van Gisbergen could be speculating a move to NASCAR.

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Shane van Gisbergen explains his strong outing in NASCAR's street race

Shane van Gisbergen was a class apart from the rest of the Cup Series drivers in NASCAR's inaugural street race. The #91 Chevrolet Camaro driver stunned everyone with his racecraft, pulling daring overtakes as he dominated the 2.2-mile track in Chicago.

Racing full-time in the Supercars series, Van Gisbergen had the experience of having raced on the streets his entire career.

This is how the Kiwi driver had an upper hand over the rest of the field. However, he reckons that he would be massively disadvantaged in an oval race.

"I'm sure if it was an oval it would be the other way around. This is my bread and butter, the street circuits we do almost half of our series' races are street circuits. So I'm comfortable with the walls," he said.

Racing in his element in the Chicago street race, Van Gisbergen became the first Cup Series driver in 60 years to win on his debut.